NYT Spelling Bee Answers for May 21, 2023
Game Summary
| Center Letter | B |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | a, c, m, n, o, t |
| # of Pangrams | 2 (Perfect: none) |
| Total Words | 38 words |
| Total Points | 188 points |
| Genius Level | 132 points |
| Bingo? | No |
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</th><th>10</th><th>11</th><th>12 | Σ | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| B | 9 | 2 | 10 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 22 |
| C | 1 | 1 | 2 | - | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | 6 |
| M | - | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 |
| N | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 4 |
| O | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| T | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 3 | Σ | 12 | 8 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 1 | - | - | 1 | 38 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| A | AB×1 |
|---|---|
| B | BA×9 BO×13 |
| C | CA×2 CO×4 |
| M | MA×2 |
| N | NA×2 NO×2 |
| O | |
| T | TA×1 TO×2 |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| A | ABB×1 |
|---|---|
| B | BAB×2 BAC×1 BAM×1 BAN×3 BAO×1 BAT×1 BOA×2 BOB×2 BOM×1 BON×2 BOO×5 BOT×1 |
| C | CAB×1 CAT×1 COM×4 |
| M | MAM×2 |
| N | NAB×1 NAN×1 NON×1 NOO×1 |
| O | |
| T | TAB×1 TOB×1 TOM×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) |
|---|---|---|
| co....... † | CO9 | A person engaged in combat, often armed. |
| no.......... † | NO12 | Alternative form of non-combatant |
| ab... | AB5 | The superior or head of an abbey or monastery. |
| ba.. | BA4 | A kind of sponge cake soaked in rum-flavoured syrup. |
| ba.... | BA6 | An Old World monkey of the genus Papio, having dog-like muzzles and large canine teeth, cheek pouches, a short tail, and naked callosities on the buttocks. |
| ba... | BA5 | Cured meat from the sides, belly, or back of a pig. |
| ba.... | BA6 | A fast-growing grass of the Poaceae family, characterised by its woody, hollow, round, straight, jointed stem, all of which are in the Bambuseae tribe. |
| ba.... | BA6 | An elongated curved tropical fruit of a banana plant, which grows in bunches and has a creamy flesh and a smooth skin. In particular, the sweet, yellow fruit of the Cavendish banana cultivar, which may be eaten raw, as distinct from e.g. a plantain for cooking. |
| ba.. | BA4 | A bench; a high seat, or seat of distinction or judgment. |
| ba.... | BA6 | Any of several small chickens, especially of a breed that is a miniature version of another breed. |
| ba.... | BA6 | A tree, Adansonia digitata (and similar species), native to tropical Africa, having a broad swollen trunk and edible gourd-like hanging fruits. |
| ba... | BA5 | A staff or truncheon, used for various purposes. |
| bo.. | BO4 | A craft used for transportation of goods, fishing, racing, recreational cruising, or military use on or in the water, propelled by oars or outboard motor or inboard motor or by wind. |
| bo..... | BO7 | A man in charge of a small boat. |
| bo.. | BO4 | Synonym of tapioca pearl. |
| bo.... | BO6 | A North American wild cat, Lynx rufus, having tufted ears and a short tail. |
| bo.. | BO4 | An explosive device used or intended as a weapon, one dropped from an aircraft. The atomic bomb. |
| bo.... | BO6 | A sweet, especially a small chocolate-covered candy. |
| bo.... | BO6 | The pygmy chimpanzee, Pan paniscus, from Africa south of the Congo river. |
| bo.. | BO4 | An idiot; a fool. |
| bo.... | BO6 | Alternative spelling of boo-boo |
| bo.. | BO4 | To make a loud, hollow, resonant sound. |
| bo.. | BO4 | A prayer; petition. |
| bo.. | BO4 | A heavy shoe that covers part of the leg. A kind of sports shoe worn by players of certain games such as cricket and football. |
| bo.... | BO6 | The lowest part of anything. |
| ca.... | CA6 | A cabin or hut for relaxing. |
| ca...... | CA8 | An underground system of tunnels and chambers with recesses for graves, used (in former times) as a cemetery; a tunnel system used for burying the dead, as in Paris or Ancient Rome. |
| co.. | CO4 | A toothed implement: A toothed implement for grooming the hair or (formerly) for keeping it in place. A machine used in separating choice cotton fibers from worsted cloth fibers. The toothed plate at the top and bottom of an escalator that prevents objects getting trapped between the moving stairs and fixed landings. A toothed tool used for chasing screws on work in a lathe; a chaser. The notched scale of a wire micrometer. The collector of an electrical machine, usually resembling a comb. A toothed plate used for creating wells in agar gels for electrophoresis. A toothed wooden pick used to push the weft thread tightly against the previous pass of thread to create a tight weave. One of a pair of peculiar organs on the base of the abdomen in scorpions, with which they comb substrate. |
| co.... | CO6 | A battle, a fight (often one in which weapons are used). |
| co... | CO5 | A small musical group. |
| ma... | MA5 | Any of various venomous snakes of the genus Dendroaspis, native to Africa, that live in trees. |
| ma... | MA5 | A voodoo priestess (in Haiti) |
| na... | NA5 | An Indian ruler within the Mogul empire. |
| na..... | NA7 | A very small autonomous robot, typically the size of a biological cell, designed to work alone or in very large numbers to achieve some task. |
| no.. | NO4 | A newb or newbie; refers to the idea that someone is new to a game, concept, or idea; implying a lack of experience. Also, in some areas the word noob can mean someone is obsessed with things. |
| ta... | TA5 | An inhibition or ban that results from social custom or emotional aversion. |
| to..... | TO7 | Any plant of the genus Nicotiana. |
| to.. | TO4 | A small building (or "vault") for the remains of the dead, with walls, a roof, and (if it is to be used for more than one corpse) a door. It may be partly or wholly in the ground (except for its entrance) in a cemetery, or it may be inside a church proper or in its crypt. Single tombs may be permanently sealed; those for families (or other groups) have doors for access whenever needed. |
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.
- combatant† (CO9)
- noncombatant† (NO12)
- abbot (AB5)
- baba (BA4)
- baboon (BA6)
- bacon (BA5)
- bamboo (BA6)
- banana (BA6)
- banc (BA4)
- bantam (BA6)
- baobab (BA6)
- baton (BA5)
- boat (BO4)
- boatman (BO7)
- boba (BO4)
- bobcat (BO6)
- bomb (BO4)
- bonbon (BO6)
- bonobo (BO6)
- boob (BO4)
- booboo (BO6)
- boom (BO4)
- boon (BO4)
- boot (BO4)
- bottom (BO6)
- cabana (CA6)
- catacomb (CA8)
- comb (CO4)
- combat (CO6)
- combo (CO5)
- mamba (MA5)
- mambo (MA5)
- nabob (NA5)
- nanobot (NA7)
- noob (NO4)
- taboo (TA5)
- tobacco (TO7)
- tomb (TO4)
Answer Definitions
- combatant† (noun): A person engaged in combat, often armed.
- noncombatant† (noun): Alternative form of non-combatant
- abbot (noun): The superior or head of an abbey or monastery.
- baba (noun): A kind of sponge cake soaked in rum-flavoured syrup.
- baboon (noun): An Old World monkey of the genus Papio, having dog-like muzzles and large canine teeth, cheek pouches, a short tail, and naked callosities on the buttocks.
- bacon (noun): Cured meat from the sides, belly, or back of a pig.
- bamboo (noun): A fast-growing grass of the Poaceae family, characterised by its woody, hollow, round, straight, jointed stem, all of which are in the Bambuseae tribe.
- banana (noun): An elongated curved tropical fruit of a banana plant, which grows in bunches and has a creamy flesh and a smooth skin. In particular, the sweet, yellow fruit of the Cavendish banana cultivar, which may be eaten raw, as distinct from e.g. a plantain for cooking.
- banc (noun): A bench; a high seat, or seat of distinction or judgment.
- bantam (noun): Any of several small chickens, especially of a breed that is a miniature version of another breed.
- baobab (noun): A tree, Adansonia digitata (and similar species), native to tropical Africa, having a broad swollen trunk and edible gourd-like hanging fruits.
- baton (noun): A staff or truncheon, used for various purposes.
- boat (noun): A craft used for transportation of goods, fishing, racing, recreational cruising, or military use on or in the water, propelled by oars or outboard motor or inboard motor or by wind.
- boatman (noun): A man in charge of a small boat.
- boba (noun): Synonym of tapioca pearl.
- bobcat (noun): A North American wild cat, Lynx rufus, having tufted ears and a short tail.
- bomb (noun): An explosive device used or intended as a weapon, one dropped from an aircraft. The atomic bomb.
- bonbon (noun): A sweet, especially a small chocolate-covered candy.
- bonobo (noun): The pygmy chimpanzee, Pan paniscus, from Africa south of the Congo river.
- boob (noun): An idiot; a fool.
- booboo (noun): Alternative spelling of boo-boo
- boom (verb): To make a loud, hollow, resonant sound.
- boon (noun): A prayer; petition.
- boot (noun): A heavy shoe that covers part of the leg. A kind of sports shoe worn by players of certain games such as cricket and football.
- bottom (noun): The lowest part of anything.
- cabana (noun): A cabin or hut for relaxing.
- catacomb (noun): An underground system of tunnels and chambers with recesses for graves, used (in former times) as a cemetery; a tunnel system used for burying the dead, as in Paris or Ancient Rome.
- comb (noun): A toothed implement: A toothed implement for grooming the hair or (formerly) for keeping it in place. A machine used in separating choice cotton fibers from worsted cloth fibers. The toothed plate at the top and bottom of an escalator that prevents objects getting trapped between the moving stairs and fixed landings. A toothed tool used for chasing screws on work in a lathe; a chaser. The notched scale of a wire micrometer. The collector of an electrical machine, usually resembling a comb. A toothed plate used for creating wells in agar gels for electrophoresis. A toothed wooden pick used to push the weft thread tightly against the previous pass of thread to create a tight weave. One of a pair of peculiar organs on the base of the abdomen in scorpions, with which they comb substrate.
- combat (noun): A battle, a fight (often one in which weapons are used).
- combo (noun): A small musical group.
- mamba (noun): Any of various venomous snakes of the genus Dendroaspis, native to Africa, that live in trees.
- mambo (noun): A voodoo priestess (in Haiti)
- nabob (noun): An Indian ruler within the Mogul empire.
- nanobot (noun): A very small autonomous robot, typically the size of a biological cell, designed to work alone or in very large numbers to achieve some task.
- noob (noun): A newb or newbie; refers to the idea that someone is new to a game, concept, or idea; implying a lack of experience. Also, in some areas the word noob can mean someone is obsessed with things.
- taboo (noun): An inhibition or ban that results from social custom or emotional aversion.
- tobacco (noun): Any plant of the genus Nicotiana.
- tomb (noun): A small building (or "vault") for the remains of the dead, with walls, a roof, and (if it is to be used for more than one corpse) a door. It may be partly or wholly in the ground (except for its entrance) in a cemetery, or it may be inside a church proper or in its crypt. Single tombs may be permanently sealed; those for families (or other groups) have doors for access whenever needed.