NYT Spelling Bee Answers for July 20, 2023
Game Summary
| Center Letter | L |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | a, e, h, i, v, y |
| # of Pangrams | 1 (Perfect: 1) |
| Total Words | 44 words |
| Total Points | 149 points |
| Genius Level | 104 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 | Σ | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 1 | 4 | 1 | - | 6 |
| E | 2 | - | 1 | - | 3 |
| H | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 14 |
| I | 1 | - | - | - | 1 |
| L | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
| V | 5 | 2 | 2 | - | 9 |
| Y | 1 | - | - | - | 1 | Σ | 22 | 14 | 6 | 2 | 44 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| A | AL×5 AV×1 |
|---|---|
| E | EE×1 EV×2 |
| H | HA×7 HE×5 HI×2 |
| I | IL×1 |
| L | LA×2 LE×5 LI×3 |
| V | VA×3 VE×2 VI×4 |
| Y | YE×1 |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| A | ALI×1 ALL×4 AVA×1 |
|---|---|
| E | EEL×1 EVI×2 |
| H | HAI×1 HAL×6 HEA×2 HEE×1 HEL×2 HIL×2 |
| I | ILL×1 |
| L | LAV×2 LEA×1 LEV×4 LIL×1 LIV×2 |
| V | VAL×3 VEA×1 VEI×1 VIA×1 VIL×3 |
| Y | YEL×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) |
|---|---|---|
| he..... † | HE7 | In a heavy manner. |
| al... | AL5 | Having life; living; not dead. |
| al... | AL5 | To make quiet or put at rest; to pacify or appease; to quell; to calm. |
| al.... | AL6 | One of a number of alternative forms of the same gene occupying a given position, or locus, on a chromosome. |
| al... | AL5 | A narrow street or passageway, especially one through the middle of a block giving access to the rear of lots or buildings. |
| al.. | AL4 | To unite or form a connection between (people or things), as between families by marriage, or between states by confederacy, league, or treaty. |
| av... | AV5 | To turn to the advantage of. |
| ee.. | EE4 | Resembling an eel: long, thin and slippery. |
| ev.. | EV4 | Intending to harm; malevolent. |
| ev.... | EV6 | In an evil manner. |
| ha.. | HA4 | Balls or pieces of ice falling as precipitation, often in connection with a thunderstorm. |
| ha... | HA5 | Permissible, according to Muslim religious customs, to have or do. |
| ha.. | HA4 | Sound, entire, healthy; robust, not impaired. |
| ha.. | HA4 | A corridor; a hallway. |
| ha... | HA5 | A confection usually made from crushed sesame seeds and honey. It is a traditional dessert in South Asia, the Mediterranean and the Middle East. |
| ha.... | HA6 | Alternative spelling of halva |
| ha... | HA5 | To reduce to half the original amount. |
| he.. | HE4 | To make better from a disease, wound, etc.; to revive or cure. |
| he.. | HE4 | The rear part of the foot, where it joins the leg. |
| he.. | HE4 | A place of torment where some or all sinners and evil spirits are believed to go after death. |
| he... | HE5 | The handle or haft of a tool or weapon. |
| hi.. | HI4 | An elevated landmass smaller than a mountain. |
| hi... | HI5 | Abundant in hills; having many hills. |
| il.. | IL4 | Badly; poorly. |
| la.. | LA4 | The molten rock ejected by a volcano from its crater or fissured sides. |
| la.. | LA4 | To pour or throw out, as water; lade out; bail; bail out. |
| le... | LE5 | To have a consequence or remnant. To cause or allow (something) to remain as available; to refrain from taking (something) away; to stop short of consuming or otherwise depleting (something) entirely. |
| le... | LE5 | An elevated geographical feature. |
| le... | LE5 | The same height at all places; parallel to a flat ground. |
| le..... | LE7 | In a level or even manner. |
| le.. | LE4 | To impose (a tax or fine) to collect monies due, or to confiscate property. |
| li.. | LI4 | Any of several flowers in the genus Lilium of the family Liliaceae, which includes a great many ornamental species. |
| li.. | LI4 | To be alive; to have life. |
| li.... | LI6 | Full of life; energetic. |
| va.. | VA4 | A valley. |
| va.... | VA6 | An elongated depression cast between hills or mountains, often garnished with a river flowing through it. |
| va... | VA5 | A device that controls the flow of a gas or fluid through a pipe. |
| ve.. | VE4 | The flesh of a calf (i.e. a young bovine) used for food. |
| ve.. | VE4 | Something hung up or spread out to hide or protect the face, or hide an object from view; usually of gauze, crepe, or similar diaphanous material. |
| vi.. | VI4 | A glass vessel or bottle, especially a small tube-shaped bottle used to store medicine, perfume or other chemicals. |
| vi.. | VI4 | Morally low; base; despicable. |
| vi.... | VI6 | In a vile manner, evilly, despicably. |
| vi... | VI5 | A house, often larger and more expensive than average, in the countryside or on the coast, often used as a retreat. |
| ye.. | YE4 | shout; holler; make a loud sound with the voice. |
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.
- heavily† (HE7)
- alive (AL5)
- allay (AL5)
- allele (AL6)
- alley (AL5)
- ally (AL4)
- avail (AV5)
- eely (EE4)
- evil (EV4)
- evilly (EV6)
- hail (HA4)
- halal (HA5)
- hale (HA4)
- hall (HA4)
- halva (HA5)
- halvah (HA6)
- halve (HA5)
- heal (HE4)
- heel (HE4)
- hell (HE4)
- helve (HE5)
- hill (HI4)
- hilly (HI5)
- illy (IL4)
- lava (LA4)
- lave (LA4)
- leave (LE5)
- levee (LE5)
- level (LE5)
- levelly (LE7)
- levy (LE4)
- lily (LI4)
- live (LI4)
- lively (LI6)
- vale (VA4)
- valley (VA6)
- valve (VA5)
- veal (VE4)
- veil (VE4)
- vial (VI4)
- vile (VI4)
- vilely (VI6)
- villa (VI5)
- yell (YE4)
Answer Definitions
- heavily† (adverb): In a heavy manner.
- alive (adjective): Having life; living; not dead.
- allay (verb): To make quiet or put at rest; to pacify or appease; to quell; to calm.
- allele (noun): One of a number of alternative forms of the same gene occupying a given position, or locus, on a chromosome.
- alley (noun): A narrow street or passageway, especially one through the middle of a block giving access to the rear of lots or buildings.
- ally (verb): To unite or form a connection between (people or things), as between families by marriage, or between states by confederacy, league, or treaty.
- avail (verb): To turn to the advantage of.
- eely (adjective): Resembling an eel: long, thin and slippery.
- evil (adjective): Intending to harm; malevolent.
- evilly (adverb): In an evil manner.
- hail (noun): Balls or pieces of ice falling as precipitation, often in connection with a thunderstorm.
- halal (adjective): Permissible, according to Muslim religious customs, to have or do.
- hale (adjective): Sound, entire, healthy; robust, not impaired.
- hall (noun): A corridor; a hallway.
- halva (noun): A confection usually made from crushed sesame seeds and honey. It is a traditional dessert in South Asia, the Mediterranean and the Middle East.
- halvah (noun): Alternative spelling of halva
- halve (verb): To reduce to half the original amount.
- heal (verb): To make better from a disease, wound, etc.; to revive or cure.
- heel (noun): The rear part of the foot, where it joins the leg.
- hell (proper noun): A place of torment where some or all sinners and evil spirits are believed to go after death.
- helve (noun): The handle or haft of a tool or weapon.
- hill (noun): An elevated landmass smaller than a mountain.
- hilly (adjective): Abundant in hills; having many hills.
- illy (adverb): Badly; poorly.
- lava (noun): The molten rock ejected by a volcano from its crater or fissured sides.
- lave (verb): To pour or throw out, as water; lade out; bail; bail out.
- leave (verb): To have a consequence or remnant. To cause or allow (something) to remain as available; to refrain from taking (something) away; to stop short of consuming or otherwise depleting (something) entirely.
- levee (noun): An elevated geographical feature.
- level (adjective): The same height at all places; parallel to a flat ground.
- levelly (adverb): In a level or even manner.
- levy (verb): To impose (a tax or fine) to collect monies due, or to confiscate property.
- lily (noun): Any of several flowers in the genus Lilium of the family Liliaceae, which includes a great many ornamental species.
- live (verb): To be alive; to have life.
- lively (adjective): Full of life; energetic.
- vale (noun): A valley.
- valley (noun): An elongated depression cast between hills or mountains, often garnished with a river flowing through it.
- valve (noun): A device that controls the flow of a gas or fluid through a pipe.
- veal (noun): The flesh of a calf (i.e. a young bovine) used for food.
- veil (noun): Something hung up or spread out to hide or protect the face, or hide an object from view; usually of gauze, crepe, or similar diaphanous material.
- vial (noun): A glass vessel or bottle, especially a small tube-shaped bottle used to store medicine, perfume or other chemicals.
- vile (adjective): Morally low; base; despicable.
- vilely (adverb): In a vile manner, evilly, despicably.
- villa (noun): A house, often larger and more expensive than average, in the countryside or on the coast, often used as a retreat.
- yell (verb): shout; holler; make a loud sound with the voice.