NYT Spelling Bee Answers for August 16, 2023
Game Summary
| Center Letter | M |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | a, d, e, i, l, v |
| # of Pangrams | 1 (Perfect: none) |
| Total Words | 60 words |
| Total Points | 236 points |
| Genius Level | 165 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 | Σ | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | 2 |
| D | 3 | - | 4 | 1 | - | 8 |
| E | - | 2 | - | 2 | - | 4 |
| I | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| L | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | - | 10 |
| M | 16 | 7 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 35 |
| V | - | - | - | - | - | - | Σ | 25 | 14 | 14 | 6 | 1 | 60 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| A | AI×1 AM×1 |
|---|---|
| D | DA×2 DE×2 DI×4 |
| E | ED×2 EM×2 |
| I | IM×1 |
| L | LA×4 LE×1 LI×4 LL×1 |
| M | MA×13 ME×14 MI×8 |
| V |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| A | AIM×1 AMI×1 |
|---|---|
| D | DAM×2 DEE×2 DIA×1 DIL×1 DIM×2 |
| E | EDA×1 EDE×1 EMA×2 |
| I | IMA×1 |
| L | LAM×4 LEM×1 LIM×4 LLA×1 |
| M | MAD×3 MAI×5 MAL×2 MAM×3 MEA×2 MED×7 MEL×3 MEM×2 MID×2 MIL×4 MIM×2 |
| V |
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) |
|---|---|---|
| me...... † | ME8 | Of or relating to the Middle Ages, the period from approximately 500 to 1500 AD. |
| ai... | AI5 | simple past tense and past participle of aim |
| am.. | AM4 | In the middle of; in the center of; surrounded by. |
| da.. | DA4 | Usually capitalized as Dame: a title equivalent to Sir for a female knight. |
| da.... | DA6 | simple past tense and past participle of dam |
| de.. | DE4 | To judge, to pass judgment on; to doom, to sentence. |
| de.... | DE6 | simple past tense and past participle of deem |
| di.... | DI6 | An ornamental headband worn as a badge of royalty. |
| di..... | DI7 | A circumstance in which a choice must be made between two or more alternatives that seem equally undesirable. |
| di.. | DI4 | A coin worth one-tenth of a U.S. dollar. |
| di.... | DI6 | simple past tense and past participle of dim |
| ed..... | ED7 | Fresh green soybeans boiled as a vegetable. |
| ed... | ED5 | An excessive accumulation of serum in tissue spaces or a body cavity. |
| em... | EM5 | A system for transferring messages from one computer to another, usually through a network. |
| em..... | EM7 | simple past and past participle of email |
| im.. | IM4 | One who leads the salat prayers in a mosque. |
| la.. | LA4 | A master of Tibetan Buddhism. |
| la.. | LA4 | Unable to walk properly because of a problem with one's feet or legs. |
| la... | LA5 | The twelfth letter of many Semitic alphabets/abjads (Phoenician, Aramaic, Hebrew, Syriac, Arabic and others). |
| la.... | LA6 | simple past tense and past participle of lam |
| le... | LE5 | A proposition proved or accepted for immediate use in the proof of some other proposition. |
| li.. | LI4 | lima bean |
| li.. | LI4 | Any inorganic material containing calcium, usually calcium oxide (quicklime) or calcium hydroxide (slaked lime). |
| li..... | LI7 | A citrus drink made from water, sugar, and the juice of limes. |
| li... | LI5 | simple past tense and past participle of lime |
| ll... | LL5 | A South American mammal of the camel family, Lama glama, used as a domestic beast of burden and a source of wool and meat. |
| ma... | MA5 | A polite form of address for a woman or lady. |
| ma.... | MA6 | Alternative form of madam |
| ma.. | MA4 | A grub or maggot. |
| ma.. | MA4 | A girl or an unmarried young woman; maiden. |
| ma.. | MA4 | A bag or wallet. |
| ma.... | MA6 | simple past and past participle of mail |
| ma.. | MA4 | To wound seriously; to cause permanent loss of function of a limb or part of the body. |
| ma.... | MA6 | simple past tense and past participle of maim |
| ma.. | MA4 | Belonging to the sex which typically produces sperm, or to the gender which is typically associated with it. |
| ma.. | MA4 | A pedestrianised street, especially a shopping precinct. |
| ma.. | MA4 | Mother, female parent. |
| ma... | MA5 | The milk-secreting organ of female humans and other mammals which includes the mammary gland and the nipple or teat; a breast; an udder. |
| ma.... | MA6 | An animal of the class Mammalia, characterized by being warm-blooded, having hair and producing milk with which to feed its young. |
| me.. | ME4 | An alcoholic drink fermented from honey and water. |
| me.. | ME4 | Correct quotes |
| me... | ME5 | A stamped metal disc used as a personal ornament, a charm, or a religious object. |
| me..... | ME7 | Having received a medal. |
| me.... | ME6 | To interfere in or with; to concern oneself with unduly. |
| me..... | ME7 | simple past tense and past participle of meddle |
| me... | ME5 | The middle layer of the wall of a blood vessel or lymph vessel which is composed of connective and muscular tissue. |
| me.... | ME6 | Of or pertaining to a mean or average. |
| me.. | ME4 | to combine multiple similar objects into one. |
| me.... | ME6 | simple past tense and past participle of meld |
| me... | ME5 | A battle fought at close range; hand-to-hand combat; brawling. |
| me.. | ME4 | Any unit of cultural information, such as a practice or idea, that is transmitted verbally or by repeated action from one mind to another in a comparable way to the transmission of genes. |
| me... | ME5 | simple past tense and past participle of meme |
| mi.... | MI6 | A centre, midpoint. |
| mi.. | MI4 | Having a hemline at mid-calf length. |
| mi.. | MI4 | Gentle and not easily angered. |
| mi.. | MI4 | The international mile: a unit of length precisely equal to 1.609344 kilometers established by treaty among Anglophone nations in 1959, divided into 5,280 feet or 1,760 yards. |
| mi.. | MI4 | A grinding apparatus for substances such as grains, seeds, etc. |
| mi.... | MI6 | Ground by a mill. |
| mi.. | MI4 | A form of acting without words; pantomime. |
| mi... | MI5 | simple past tense and past participle of mime |
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.
- medieval† (ME8)
- aimed (AI5)
- amid (AM4)
- dame (DA4)
- dammed (DA6)
- deem (DE4)
- deemed (DE6)
- diadem (DI6)
- dilemma (DI7)
- dime (DI4)
- dimmed (DI6)
- edamame (ED7)
- edema (ED5)
- email (EM5)
- emailed (EM7)
- imam (IM4)
- lama (LA4)
- lame (LA4)
- lamed (LA5)
- lammed (LA6)
- lemma (LE5)
- lima (LI4)
- lime (LI4)
- limeade (LI7)
- limed (LI5)
- llama (LL5)
- madam (MA5)
- madame (MA6)
- made (MA4)
- maid (MA4)
- mail (MA4)
- mailed (MA6)
- maim (MA4)
- maimed (MA6)
- male (MA4)
- mall (MA4)
- mama (MA4)
- mamma (MA5)
- mammal (MA6)
- mead (ME4)
- meal (ME4)
- medal (ME5)
- medaled (ME7)
- meddle (ME6)
- meddled (ME7)
- media (ME5)
- medial (ME6)
- meld (ME4)
- melded (ME6)
- melee (ME5)
- meme (ME4)
- memed (ME5)
- middle (MI6)
- midi (MI4)
- mild (MI4)
- mile (MI4)
- mill (MI4)
- milled (MI6)
- mime (MI4)
- mimed (MI5)
Answer Definitions
- medieval† (adjective): Of or relating to the Middle Ages, the period from approximately 500 to 1500 AD.
- aimed (verb): simple past tense and past participle of aim
- amid (preposition): In the middle of; in the center of; surrounded by.
- dame (noun): Usually capitalized as Dame: a title equivalent to Sir for a female knight.
- dammed (verb): simple past tense and past participle of dam
- deem (verb): To judge, to pass judgment on; to doom, to sentence.
- deemed (verb): simple past tense and past participle of deem
- diadem (noun): An ornamental headband worn as a badge of royalty.
- dilemma (noun): A circumstance in which a choice must be made between two or more alternatives that seem equally undesirable.
- dime (noun): A coin worth one-tenth of a U.S. dollar.
- dimmed (verb): simple past tense and past participle of dim
- edamame (noun): Fresh green soybeans boiled as a vegetable.
- edema (noun): An excessive accumulation of serum in tissue spaces or a body cavity.
- email (noun): A system for transferring messages from one computer to another, usually through a network.
- emailed (verb): simple past and past participle of email
- imam (noun): One who leads the salat prayers in a mosque.
- lama (noun): A master of Tibetan Buddhism.
- lame (adjective): Unable to walk properly because of a problem with one's feet or legs.
- lamed (noun): The twelfth letter of many Semitic alphabets/abjads (Phoenician, Aramaic, Hebrew, Syriac, Arabic and others).
- lammed (verb): simple past tense and past participle of lam
- lemma (noun): A proposition proved or accepted for immediate use in the proof of some other proposition.
- lima (noun): lima bean
- lime (noun): Any inorganic material containing calcium, usually calcium oxide (quicklime) or calcium hydroxide (slaked lime).
- limeade (noun): A citrus drink made from water, sugar, and the juice of limes.
- limed (verb): simple past tense and past participle of lime
- llama (noun): A South American mammal of the camel family, Lama glama, used as a domestic beast of burden and a source of wool and meat.
- madam (noun): A polite form of address for a woman or lady.
- madame (noun): Alternative form of madam
- made (noun): A grub or maggot.
- maid (noun): A girl or an unmarried young woman; maiden.
- mail (noun): A bag or wallet.
- mailed (verb): simple past and past participle of mail
- maim (verb): To wound seriously; to cause permanent loss of function of a limb or part of the body.
- maimed (verb): simple past tense and past participle of maim
- male (adjective): Belonging to the sex which typically produces sperm, or to the gender which is typically associated with it.
- mall (noun): A pedestrianised street, especially a shopping precinct.
- mama (noun): Mother, female parent.
- mamma (noun): The milk-secreting organ of female humans and other mammals which includes the mammary gland and the nipple or teat; a breast; an udder.
- mammal (noun): An animal of the class Mammalia, characterized by being warm-blooded, having hair and producing milk with which to feed its young.
- mead (noun): An alcoholic drink fermented from honey and water.
- meal (noun): Correct quotes
- medal (noun): A stamped metal disc used as a personal ornament, a charm, or a religious object.
- medaled (adjective): Having received a medal.
- meddle (verb): To interfere in or with; to concern oneself with unduly.
- meddled (verb): simple past tense and past participle of meddle
- media (noun): The middle layer of the wall of a blood vessel or lymph vessel which is composed of connective and muscular tissue.
- medial (adjective): Of or pertaining to a mean or average.
- meld (verb): to combine multiple similar objects into one.
- melded (verb): simple past tense and past participle of meld
- melee (noun): A battle fought at close range; hand-to-hand combat; brawling.
- meme (noun): Any unit of cultural information, such as a practice or idea, that is transmitted verbally or by repeated action from one mind to another in a comparable way to the transmission of genes.
- memed (verb): simple past tense and past participle of meme
- middle (noun): A centre, midpoint.
- midi (adjective): Having a hemline at mid-calf length.
- mild (adjective): Gentle and not easily angered.
- mile (noun): The international mile: a unit of length precisely equal to 1.609344 kilometers established by treaty among Anglophone nations in 1959, divided into 5,280 feet or 1,760 yards.
- mill (noun): A grinding apparatus for substances such as grains, seeds, etc.
- milled (adjective): Ground by a mill.
- mime (noun): A form of acting without words; pantomime.
- mimed (verb): simple past tense and past participle of mime