NYT Spelling Bee Answers for August 26, 2023

Aug 26, 2023 · 12 min read · spelling bee ·

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Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for August 26, 2023

Game Summary

Center Letter	L
Outer Letters	m, n, p, u, d, e
# of Pangrams	1 (Perfect: none)
Total Words	55 words
Total Points	248 points
Genius Level	174 points
Bingo?	Yes

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
D	3	1	3	1	-	8
E	-	1	1	-	-	2
L	6	1	2	-	-	9
M	3	1	4	2	-	10
N	1	-	1	1	-	3
P	6	3	8	3	2	22
U	-	-	-	-	1	1
Σ	19	7	19	7	3	55

Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints

The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.

D	DE×3 DU×5
E	EL×2
L	LE×2 LU×7
M	ME×5 MU×5
N	NE×2 NU×1
P	PE×6 PL×6 PU×10
U	UN×1

Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints

The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.

D	DEL×3 DUE×2 DUL×2 DUP×1
E	ELU×2
L	LED×1 LEN×1 LUL×3 LUM×3 LUN×1
M	MED×2 MEL×3 MUD×2 MUL×3
N	NEE×2 NUL×1
P	PED×2 PEE×2 PEN×1 PEP×1 PLE×1 PLU×5 PUD×2 PUL×6 PUM×2
U	UNP×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)
pe...... ^†	PE8	A body suspended from a fixed support so that it swings freely back and forth under the influence of gravity, commonly used to regulate various devices such as clocks. Used to refer to the tendency of a situation to oscillate (between two extremes).
de..	DE4	A valley, especially in the form of a natural hollow, small and deep.
de....	DE6	To deceive into believing something which is false; to lead into error; to dupe.
de.....	DE7	Being affected by delusions.
du..	DU4	Arranged, regular combat between two private persons, often over a matter of honor.
du....	DU6	simple past tense and past participle of duel
du..	DU4	Lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp.
du....	DU6	simple past tense and past participle of dull
du...	DU5	Double.
el...	EL5	To evade or escape from (someone or something), especially by using cunning or skill.
el....	EL6	simple past tense and past participle of elude
le..	LE4	A man; a person.
le..	LE4	To allow to be used by someone temporarily, on condition that it or its equivalent will be returned.
lu..	LU4	A period of rest or soothing.
lu....	LU6	simple past tense and past participle of lull
lu..	LU4	A remarkable person, object or idea.
lu...	LU5	In the International System of Units, the derived unit of luminous flux; the light that is emitted in a solid angle of one steradian from a source of one candela. Symbol: lm.
lu..	LU4	Something that protrudes, sticks out, or sticks together; a cluster or blob; a mound or mass of no particular shape.
lu....	LU6	simple past and past participle of lump
lu..	LU4	A fit of lunacy or madness; a period of frenzy; a crazy or unreasonable freak.
me....	ME6	To interfere in or with; to concern oneself with unduly.
me.....	ME7	simple past tense and past participle of meddle
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.
mu....	MU6	To mix together, to mix up; to confuse.
mu.....	MU7	Confused, disorganised, in disarray.
mu..	MU4	The generally sterile male or female hybrid offspring of a male donkey and a female horse.
mu..	MU4	(usually with over) To work (over) mentally; to cogitate; to ruminate.
mu....	MU6	simple past tense and past participle of mull
ne....	NE6	A long, thin, sharp implement usually for piercing as in sewing, embroidery, acupuncture, tattooing, body piercing, medical injections, sutures, etc; or a blunt but otherwise similar implement used for forming loops or knots in crafts such as darning, knitting, tatting, etc.
ne.....	NE7	Covered or armored with needles.
nu..	NU4	A non-existent or empty value or set of values.
pe....	PE6	To sell things, especially door to door or in insignificant quantities.
pe.....	PE7	simple past tense and past participle of peddle
pe..	PE4	To remove the skin or outer covering of.
pe....	PE6	With the outermost layer or skin removed.
pe....	PE6	A peplos, an Ancient Greek garment formed of a tubular piece of cloth folded back upon itself halfway down so that the top of the tube is worn around the waist, and the bottom covers the legs down to the ankles; the open top is then worn over the shoulders, and draped, in folds, down to the waist. Compare the Roman palla.
pl..	PL4	simple past tense and past participle of plead
pl..	PL4	The fruit and its tree. The edible, fleshy stone fruit of Prunus domestica, often of a dark red or purple colour. The stone-fruit tree which bears this fruit, Prunus domestica. The edible, fleshy stone fruit of several species resembling the plum, or the tree from which they grow. Prunus sect. Prunus Prunus cerasifera, the cherry plum or myrobalan Prunus salicina the Chinese plum or Japanese plum Prunus spinosa, the sloe Prunus ursina the bear's plum Prunus sect. Prunocerasus North American plums Prunus americana, the American plum Prunus angustifolia, the Chickasaw plum or sand plum Prunus hortulana, the hortulan plum Prunus nigra, the Canadian plum or black plum Prunus rivularis, the creek plum or hog plum Prunus subcordata, the Klamath plum or Oregon plum Prunus sect. Armeniaca (better known as apricots) Prunus mume, an Asian fruit more closely related to the apricot than the plum, usually consumed pickled, dried, or as a juice or wine; ume. A dried grape or raisin, as used in a pudding or cake.
pl...	PL5	A feather of a bird, especially a large or showy one used as a decoration.
pl....	PL6	Having or decorated with a plume or plumes.
pl...	PL5	Having a full and rounded shape; chubby, somewhat overweight.
pl.....	PL7	simple past and past participle of plump
pu....	PU6	A small, often temporary, pool of water, usually on a path or road.
pu.....	PU7	simple past tense and past participle of puddle
pu..	PU4	A plaintive melancholy whine.
pu...	PU5	simple past tense and past participle of pule
pu..	PU4	To apply a force to (an object) so that it comes toward the person or thing applying the force.
pu....	PU6	simple past tense and past participle of pull
pu..	PU4	A soft, moist, shapeless mass or matter. A mixture of wood, cellulose and/or rags and water ground up to make paper. A mass of chemically processed wood fibres (cellulose). A suspension of mineral particles, typically achieved by some form of agitation. The soft center of a fruit.
pu....	PU6	simple past tense and past participle of pulp
pu....	PU6	To hit or strike heavily and repeatedly.
pu......	PU8	simple past and past participle of pummel
un......	UN8	simple past and past participle of unpeel

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.

pendulum^† (PE8)
dell (DE4)
delude (DE6)
deluded (DE7)
duel (DU4)
dueled (DU6)
dull (DU4)
dulled (DU6)
duple (DU5)
elude (EL5)
eluded (EL6)
lede (LE4)
lend (LE4)
lull (LU4)
lulled (LU6)
lulu (LU4)
lumen (LU5)
lump (LU4)
lumped (LU6)
lune (LU4)
meddle (ME6)
meddled (ME7)
meld (ME4)
melded (ME6)
melee (ME5)
muddle (MU6)
muddled (MU7)
mule (MU4)
mull (MU4)
mulled (MU6)
needle (NE6)
needled (NE7)
null (NU4)
peddle (PE6)
peddled (PE7)
peel (PE4)
peeled (PE6)
peplum (PE6)
pled (PL4)
plum (PL4)
plume (PL5)
plumed (PL6)
plump (PL5)
plumped (PL7)
puddle (PU6)
puddled (PU7)
pule (PU4)
puled (PU5)
pull (PU4)
pulled (PU6)
pulp (PU4)
pulped (PU6)
pummel (PU6)
pummeled (PU8)
unpeeled (UN8)

Answer Definitions

pendulum^† (noun): A body suspended from a fixed support so that it swings freely back and forth under the influence of gravity, commonly used to regulate various devices such as clocks. Used to refer to the tendency of a situation to oscillate (between two extremes).
dell (noun): A valley, especially in the form of a natural hollow, small and deep.
delude (verb): To deceive into believing something which is false; to lead into error; to dupe.
deluded (adjective): Being affected by delusions.
duel (noun): Arranged, regular combat between two private persons, often over a matter of honor.
dueled (verb): simple past tense and past participle of duel
dull (adjective): Lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp.
dulled (verb): simple past tense and past participle of dull
duple (adjective): Double.
elude (verb): To evade or escape from (someone or something), especially by using cunning or skill.
eluded (verb): simple past tense and past participle of elude
lede (noun): A man; a person.
lend (verb): To allow to be used by someone temporarily, on condition that it or its equivalent will be returned.
lull (noun): A period of rest or soothing.
lulled (verb): simple past tense and past participle of lull
lulu (noun): A remarkable person, object or idea.
lumen (noun): In the International System of Units, the derived unit of luminous flux; the light that is emitted in a solid angle of one steradian from a source of one candela. Symbol: lm.
lump (noun): Something that protrudes, sticks out, or sticks together; a cluster or blob; a mound or mass of no particular shape.
lumped (verb): simple past and past participle of lump
lune (noun): A fit of lunacy or madness; a period of frenzy; a crazy or unreasonable freak.
meddle (verb): To interfere in or with; to concern oneself with unduly.
meddled (verb): simple past tense and past participle of meddle
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.
muddle (verb): To mix together, to mix up; to confuse.
muddled (adjective): Confused, disorganised, in disarray.
mule (noun): The generally sterile male or female hybrid offspring of a male donkey and a female horse.
mull (verb): (usually with over) To work (over) mentally; to cogitate; to ruminate.
mulled (verb): simple past tense and past participle of mull
needle (noun): A long, thin, sharp implement usually for piercing as in sewing, embroidery, acupuncture, tattooing, body piercing, medical injections, sutures, etc; or a blunt but otherwise similar implement used for forming loops or knots in crafts such as darning, knitting, tatting, etc.
needled (adjective): Covered or armored with needles.
null (noun): A non-existent or empty value or set of values.
peddle (verb): To sell things, especially door to door or in insignificant quantities.
peddled (verb): simple past tense and past participle of peddle
peel (verb): To remove the skin or outer covering of.
peeled (adjective): With the outermost layer or skin removed.
peplum (noun): A peplos, an Ancient Greek garment formed of a tubular piece of cloth folded back upon itself halfway down so that the top of the tube is worn around the waist, and the bottom covers the legs down to the ankles; the open top is then worn over the shoulders, and draped, in folds, down to the waist. Compare the Roman palla.
pled (verb): simple past tense and past participle of plead
plum (noun): The fruit and its tree. The edible, fleshy stone fruit of Prunus domestica, often of a dark red or purple colour. The stone-fruit tree which bears this fruit, Prunus domestica. The edible, fleshy stone fruit of several species resembling the plum, or the tree from which they grow. Prunus sect. Prunus Prunus cerasifera, the cherry plum or myrobalan Prunus salicina the Chinese plum or Japanese plum Prunus spinosa, the sloe Prunus ursina the bear's plum Prunus sect. Prunocerasus North American plums Prunus americana, the American plum Prunus angustifolia, the Chickasaw plum or sand plum Prunus hortulana, the hortulan plum Prunus nigra, the Canadian plum or black plum Prunus rivularis, the creek plum or hog plum Prunus subcordata, the Klamath plum or Oregon plum Prunus sect. Armeniaca (better known as apricots) Prunus mume, an Asian fruit more closely related to the apricot than the plum, usually consumed pickled, dried, or as a juice or wine; ume. A dried grape or raisin, as used in a pudding or cake.
plume (noun): A feather of a bird, especially a large or showy one used as a decoration.
plumed (adjective): Having or decorated with a plume or plumes.
plump (adjective): Having a full and rounded shape; chubby, somewhat overweight.
plumped (verb): simple past and past participle of plump
puddle (noun): A small, often temporary, pool of water, usually on a path or road.
puddled (verb): simple past tense and past participle of puddle
pule (noun): A plaintive melancholy whine.
puled (verb): simple past tense and past participle of pule
pull (verb): To apply a force to (an object) so that it comes toward the person or thing applying the force.
pulled (verb): simple past tense and past participle of pull
pulp (noun): A soft, moist, shapeless mass or matter. A mixture of wood, cellulose and/or rags and water ground up to make paper. A mass of chemically processed wood fibres (cellulose). A suspension of mineral particles, typically achieved by some form of agitation. The soft center of a fruit.
pulped (verb): simple past tense and past participle of pulp
pummel (verb): To hit or strike heavily and repeatedly.
pummeled (verb): simple past and past participle of pummel
unpeeled (verb): simple past and past participle of unpeel

	4</th><th>5</th><th>6</th><th>7</th><th>8	Σ
D	3	1	3	1	-	8
E	-	1	1	-	-	2
L	6	1	2	-	-	9
M	3	1	4	2	-	10
N	1	-	1	1	-	3
P	6	3	8	3	2	22
U	-	-	-	-	1	1
Σ	19	7	19	7	3	55

	4</th><th>5</th><th>6</th><th>7</th><th>8	Σ
D	3	1	3	1	-	8
E	-	1	1	-	-	2
L	6	1	2	-	-	9
M	3	1	4	2	-	10
N	1	-	1	1	-	3
P	6	3	8	3	2	22
U	-	-	-	-	1	1
Σ	19	7	19	7	3	55