NYT Spelling Bee Answers for May 13, 2023
Game Summary
| Center Letter | C |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | a, d, e, h, l, n |
| # of Pangrams | 2 (Perfect: none) |
| Total Words | 66 words |
| Total Points | 356 points |
| Genius Level | 249 points |
| Bingo? | Yes |
Table of Contents
As you scroll down this page, the clues get progressively more revealing. So scroll slowly!
- Spelling Bee Grid
- Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
- Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
- Extra Letter Hints (Incrementally Revealing) 🤯
- Today's Complete Solution
- Answer Definitions
If you're just here for a list of NYT Spelling Bee answers, Jump down to the answers ↓ (Spoiler Alert!).
Spelling Bee Grid
The following table shows the standard Spelling Bee summary grid, which lists word lengths across the top and letters down the left-hand side. The cell where the word lengths and letters intersect displays the number of words in today's puzzle with the corresponding first letter and word length.
| 4</th><th>5</th><th>6</th><th>7</th><th>8</th><th>9 | Σ | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | - | 6 |
| C | 7 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 35 |
| D | 1 | 3 | 2 | - | - | 2 | 8 |
| E | 1 | - | 1 | 2 | 1 | - | 5 |
| H | - | 1 | - | - | 1 | - | 2 |
| L | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2 | - | - | 9 |
| N | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | 1 | Σ | 14 | 17 | 14 | 13 | 4 | 4 | 66 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| A | AC×6 |
|---|---|
| C | CA×17 CE×4 CH×7 CL×7 |
| D | DA×5 DE×3 |
| E | EA×1 EN×4 |
| H | HE×2 |
| L | LA×4 LE×5 |
| N | NA×1 |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| A | ACC×2 ACE×1 ACH×2 ACN×1 |
|---|---|
| C | CAC×2 CAD×1 CAL×3 CAN×11 CED×2 CEL×2 CHA×7 CLA×3 CLE×4 |
| D | DAC×2 DAN×3 DEC×3 |
| E | EAC×1 ENH×2 ENL×2 |
| H | HEA×1 HEN×1 |
| L | LAC×2 LAN×2 LEA×2 LEC×1 LEE×2 |
| N | NAC×1 |
Extra Letter Hints (Incrementally Revealing)
The table below lists all of the solutions to today's puzzle, but they're concealed. You can click the plus button (+) to reveal additional letters, one-by-one.
Concealed definitions are provided as additional clues. You can toggle concealment of the definitions by clicking on the concealer bar or the text that appears when the definition is visible.
Pangrams are marked with a dagger symbol (†).
| Word | 2L Ref | Definition (click to reveal) |
|---|---|---|
| ch....... † | CH9 | Having a vehicle's height reduced by lowering the body with respect to the frame rails. |
| da....... † | DA9 | A public hall for dancing. |
| ac.... | AC6 | To approach; to arrive, to come forward. |
| ac..... | AC7 | simple past tense and past participle of accede |
| ac.. | AC4 | simple past tense and past participle of ace |
| ac.. | AC4 | To suffer pain; to be the source of, or be in, pain, especially continued dull pain; to be distressed. |
| ac... | AC5 | simple past tense and past participle of ache |
| ac.. | AC4 | A skin condition, usually of the face, that is common in adolescents. It is characterised by red pimples, and is caused by the inflammation of sebaceous glands through bacterial infection. |
| ca... | CA5 | A store of things that may be required in the future, which can be retrieved rapidly, protected or hidden in some way. |
| ca.... | CA6 | simple past tense and past participle of cache |
| ca..... | CA7 | The act or state of declining or sinking. |
| ca.. | CA4 | A telephone conversation; a phone call. |
| ca... | CA5 | A marsh plant native to cooler areas throughout the northern hemisphere, Calla palustris, having pale green flowers in a white spathe. |
| ca.... | CA6 | simple past tense and past participle of call |
| ca... | CA5 | An artificial waterway or artificially improved river used for travel, shipping, or irrigation. |
| ca.... | CA6 | A high-kicking chorus line dance originating in France. |
| ca.... | CA6 | To cross out something with lines etc. |
| ca...... | CA8 | simple past tense and past participle of cancel |
| ca....... | CA9 | simple past tense and past participle of cancel |
| ca..... | CA7 | In the International System of Units, the base unit of luminous intensity; the luminous intensity, in a given direction, of a source that emits monochromatic radiation of frequency 540 × 10 hertz and that has a radiant intensity in that direction of 1/683 watt per steradian. Symbol: cd |
| ca.... | CA6 | A light source consisting of a wick embedded in a solid, flammable substance such as wax, tallow, or paraffin. |
| ca.. | CA4 | A plant with simple stems, like bamboo or sugar cane, or the stem thereof The slender, flexible main stem of a plant such as bamboo, including many species in the grass family Gramineae |
| ca... | CA5 | simple past tense and past participle of cane |
| ca... | CA5 | Any member of the genus Canna of tropical plants with large leaves and often showy flowers. |
| ca.... | CA6 | Preserved in cans. |
| ce.. | CE4 | To give up; yield to another. |
| ce... | CE5 | simple past tense and past participle of cede |
| ce.. | CE4 | A single-room dwelling for a hermit. |
| ce.... | CE6 | Containing cells; cellular. |
| ch.. | CH4 | Small pieces of paper punched out from the edges of continuous stationery, or from ballot papers, paper tape, punched cards, etc. |
| ch..... | CH7 | A traditional bread eaten by Ashkenazi Jews, usually braided for the Sabbath and round for a yom tov. |
| ch.... | CH6 | An opportunity or possibility. |
| ch..... | CH7 | simple past tense and past participle of chance |
| ch..... | CH7 | The space around the altar in a church, often enclosed, for use by the clergy and the choir. In medieval cathedrals the chancel was usually enclosed or blocked off from the nave by an altar screen. |
| ch..... | CH7 | The physical confine of a river or slough, consisting of a bed and banks. |
| cl.. | CL4 | simple past tense and past participle of clothe |
| cl... | CL5 | A group of animals or other organisms derived from a common ancestor species. |
| cl.. | CL4 | A group of people all descended from a common ancestor, in fact or belief, especially when the exact genealogies are not known. |
| cl... | CL5 | Free of dirt or impurities or protruberances. Not dirty. |
| cl..... | CL7 | simple past tense and past participle of clean |
| cl.... | CL6 | To grip or hold fast. |
| cl...... | CL8 | Closed tightly. |
| da.. | DA4 | The shoal-forming fish Leuciscus leuciscus common to swift rivers in England and Wales and in Europe. |
| da... | DA5 | A Russian villa or summer house in the countryside. |
| da... | DA5 | A sequence of rhythmic steps or movements usually performed to music, for pleasure or as a form of social interaction. |
| da.... | DA6 | simple past tense and past participle of dance |
| de.... | DE6 | A group, set, or series of ten , particularly: |
| de....... | DE9 | A state of moral or artistic decline or deterioration; decay |
| de... | DE5 | A design or picture produced in order to be transferred to another surface either permanently or temporarily. |
| ea.. | EA4 | All; every; qualifying a singular noun, indicating all examples of the thing so named seen as individual or separate items (compare every). |
| en..... | EN7 | To lift, raise up. |
| en...... | EN8 | In a version or form that has been improved or made better than some other standard form. |
| en.... | EN6 | To bind or encircle with lace, or as with lace |
| en..... | EN7 | simple past tense and past participle of enlace |
| he...... | HE8 | A pain or ache in the head. |
| he... | HE5 | from here, from this place, away |
| la.. | LA4 | A light fabric containing patterns of holes, usually built up from a single thread. |
| la... | LA5 | Fastened or adorned with lace. |
| la... | LA5 | A weapon of war, consisting of a long shaft or handle and a steel blade or head; a spear carried by horsemen. |
| la.... | LA6 | simple past tense and past participle of lance |
| le... | LE5 | A quantity of wood ashes, through which water passes, and thus imbibes the alkali. |
| le..... | LE7 | simple past tense and past participle of leach |
| le.. | LE4 | A strong, lecherous desire or craving. |
| le... | LE5 | An aquatic blood-sucking annelid of class Hirudinea, especially Hirudo medicinalis. |
| le..... | LE7 | simple past tense and past participle of leech |
| na..... | NA7 | A separate streamlined enclosure mounted on an aircraft to house an engine, cargo, or crew. |
Today's Complete Solution
The words that follow are a complete listing of all acceptable words in today's New York Time Spelling Bee puzzle.
Next to the answer word you'll see the two-letter reference (2L Ref) in parentheses. We added that 2L Ref for easier translation of the spoiler-avoidant language you see on the Spelling Bee Forum and Twitter. The 2L Ref signifies a word's two start letters followed by the total number of letters in the word.
- channeled† (CH9)
- dancehall† (DA9)
- accede (AC6)
- acceded (AC7)
- aced (AC4)
- ache (AC4)
- ached (AC5)
- acne (AC4)
- cache (CA5)
- cached (CA6)
- cadence (CA7)
- call (CA4)
- calla (CA5)
- called (CA6)
- canal (CA5)
- cancan (CA6)
- cancel (CA6)
- canceled (CA8)
- cancelled (CA9)
- candela (CA7)
- candle (CA6)
- cane (CA4)
- caned (CA5)
- canna (CA5)
- canned (CA6)
- cede (CE4)
- ceded (CE5)
- cell (CE4)
- celled (CE6)
- chad (CH4)
- challah (CH7)
- chance (CH6)
- chanced (CH7)
- chancel (CH7)
- channel (CH7)
- clad (CL4)
- clade (CL5)
- clan (CL4)
- clean (CL5)
- cleaned (CL7)
- clench (CL6)
- clenched (CL8)
- dace (DA4)
- dacha (DA5)
- dance (DA5)
- danced (DA6)
- decade (DE6)
- decadence (DE9)
- decal (DE5)
- each (EA4)
- enhance (EN7)
- enhanced (EN8)
- enlace (EN6)
- enlaced (EN7)
- headache (HE8)
- hence (HE5)
- lace (LA4)
- laced (LA5)
- lance (LA5)
- lanced (LA6)
- leach (LE5)
- leached (LE7)
- lech (LE4)
- leech (LE5)
- leeched (LE7)
- nacelle (NA7)
Answer Definitions
- channeled† (adjective): Having a vehicle's height reduced by lowering the body with respect to the frame rails.
- dancehall† (noun): A public hall for dancing.
- accede (verb): To approach; to arrive, to come forward.
- acceded (verb): simple past tense and past participle of accede
- aced (verb): simple past tense and past participle of ace
- ache (verb): To suffer pain; to be the source of, or be in, pain, especially continued dull pain; to be distressed.
- ached (verb): simple past tense and past participle of ache
- acne (noun): A skin condition, usually of the face, that is common in adolescents. It is characterised by red pimples, and is caused by the inflammation of sebaceous glands through bacterial infection.
- cache (noun): A store of things that may be required in the future, which can be retrieved rapidly, protected or hidden in some way.
- cached (verb): simple past tense and past participle of cache
- cadence (noun): The act or state of declining or sinking.
- call (noun): A telephone conversation; a phone call.
- calla (noun): A marsh plant native to cooler areas throughout the northern hemisphere, Calla palustris, having pale green flowers in a white spathe.
- called (verb): simple past tense and past participle of call
- canal (noun): An artificial waterway or artificially improved river used for travel, shipping, or irrigation.
- cancan (noun): A high-kicking chorus line dance originating in France.
- cancel (verb): To cross out something with lines etc.
- canceled (verb): simple past tense and past participle of cancel
- cancelled (verb): simple past tense and past participle of cancel
- candela (noun): In the International System of Units, the base unit of luminous intensity; the luminous intensity, in a given direction, of a source that emits monochromatic radiation of frequency 540 × 10 hertz and that has a radiant intensity in that direction of 1/683 watt per steradian. Symbol: cd
- candle (noun): A light source consisting of a wick embedded in a solid, flammable substance such as wax, tallow, or paraffin.
- cane (noun): A plant with simple stems, like bamboo or sugar cane, or the stem thereof The slender, flexible main stem of a plant such as bamboo, including many species in the grass family Gramineae
- caned (verb): simple past tense and past participle of cane
- canna (noun): Any member of the genus Canna of tropical plants with large leaves and often showy flowers.
- canned (adjective): Preserved in cans.
- cede (verb): To give up; yield to another.
- ceded (verb): simple past tense and past participle of cede
- cell (noun): A single-room dwelling for a hermit.
- celled (adjective): Containing cells; cellular.
- chad (noun): Small pieces of paper punched out from the edges of continuous stationery, or from ballot papers, paper tape, punched cards, etc.
- challah (noun): A traditional bread eaten by Ashkenazi Jews, usually braided for the Sabbath and round for a yom tov.
- chance (noun): An opportunity or possibility.
- chanced (verb): simple past tense and past participle of chance
- chancel (noun): The space around the altar in a church, often enclosed, for use by the clergy and the choir. In medieval cathedrals the chancel was usually enclosed or blocked off from the nave by an altar screen.
- channel (noun): The physical confine of a river or slough, consisting of a bed and banks.
- clad (verb): simple past tense and past participle of clothe
- clade (noun): A group of animals or other organisms derived from a common ancestor species.
- clan (noun): A group of people all descended from a common ancestor, in fact or belief, especially when the exact genealogies are not known.
- clean (adjective): Free of dirt or impurities or protruberances. Not dirty.
- cleaned (verb): simple past tense and past participle of clean
- clench (verb): To grip or hold fast.
- clenched (adjective): Closed tightly.
- dace (noun): The shoal-forming fish Leuciscus leuciscus common to swift rivers in England and Wales and in Europe.
- dacha (noun): A Russian villa or summer house in the countryside.
- dance (noun): A sequence of rhythmic steps or movements usually performed to music, for pleasure or as a form of social interaction.
- danced (verb): simple past tense and past participle of dance
- decade (noun): A group, set, or series of ten , particularly:
- decadence (noun): A state of moral or artistic decline or deterioration; decay
- decal (noun): A design or picture produced in order to be transferred to another surface either permanently or temporarily.
- each (determiner): All; every; qualifying a singular noun, indicating all examples of the thing so named seen as individual or separate items (compare every).
- enhance (verb): To lift, raise up.
- enhanced (adjective): In a version or form that has been improved or made better than some other standard form.
- enlace (verb): To bind or encircle with lace, or as with lace
- enlaced (verb): simple past tense and past participle of enlace
- headache (noun): A pain or ache in the head.
- hence (adverb): from here, from this place, away
- lace (noun): A light fabric containing patterns of holes, usually built up from a single thread.
- laced (adjective): Fastened or adorned with lace.
- lance (noun): A weapon of war, consisting of a long shaft or handle and a steel blade or head; a spear carried by horsemen.
- lanced (verb): simple past tense and past participle of lance
- leach (noun): A quantity of wood ashes, through which water passes, and thus imbibes the alkali.
- leached (verb): simple past tense and past participle of leach
- lech (noun): A strong, lecherous desire or craving.
- leech (noun): An aquatic blood-sucking annelid of class Hirudinea, especially Hirudo medicinalis.
- leeched (verb): simple past tense and past participle of leech
- nacelle (noun): A separate streamlined enclosure mounted on an aircraft to house an engine, cargo, or crew.