NYT Spelling Bee Answers for September 16, 2023
Game Summary
| Center Letter | R |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | a, d, f, p, t, u |
| # of Pangrams | 1 (Perfect: 1) |
| Total Words | 27 words |
| Total Points | 87 points |
| Genius Level | 61 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 | 2 | 2 | - | 1 | 5 |
| D | 2 | 1 | - | - | 3 |
| F | 2 | 2 | - | - | 4 |
| P | 3 | - | - | - | 3 |
| R | 3 | 1 | - | 2 | 6 |
| T | 4 | - | 1 | - | 5 |
| U | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | Σ | 16 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 27 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| A | AF×1 AP×2 AT×1 AU×1 |
|---|---|
| D | DA×1 DR×2 |
| F | FA×2 FR×2 |
| P | PA×1 PR×1 PU×1 |
| R | RA×5 RU×1 |
| T | TA×3 TR×1 TU×1 |
| U | UP×1 |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| A | AFA×1 APA×1 APP×1 ATT×1 AUR×1 |
|---|---|
| D | DAR×1 DRA×2 |
| F | FAR×2 FRA×2 |
| P | PAR×1 PRA×1 PUR×1 |
| R | RAD×1 RAF×1 RAP×1 RAT×2 RUF×1 |
| T | TAR×3 TRA×1 TUR×1 |
| U | UPD×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) |
|---|---|---|
| up..... † | UP7 | an upward current of air, especially a strong one |
| af.. | AF4 | At, to, or from a great distance; far away. |
| ap... | AP5 | Placed separately (in regard to space or time). |
| ap..... | AP7 | The Soviet machinery of state bureaucratic administration, or a similar communistic structure. |
| at... | AT5 | An essential oil extracted from flowers. |
| au.. | AU4 | Distinctive atmosphere or quality associated with something. |
| da.. | DA4 | A pointed missile weapon, intended to be thrown by the hand; for example, a short lance or javelin. |
| dr... | DR5 | A current of air, usually coming into a room or vehicle. |
| dr.. | DR4 | To damn or curse. |
| fa... | FA5 | In the International System of Units, the derived unit of electrical capacitance; the capacitance of a capacitor in which one coulomb of charge causes a potential difference of one volt across the capacitor. Symbol: F |
| fa.. | FA4 | To emit digestive gases from the anus; to flatulate. |
| fr.. | FR4 | Shortened form of fraternity, college organization. |
| fr... | FR5 | The crime of stealing or otherwise illegally obtaining money by use of deception tactics. |
| pa.. | PA4 | A portion; a component. A fraction of a whole. |
| pr.. | PR4 | A cunning or mischievous trick; a prank, a joke. |
| pu.. | PU4 | Of a cat, to make a vibrating sound in its throat when contented. |
| ra... | RA5 | A method of detecting distant objects and determining their position, velocity, or other characteristics by analysis of sent radio waves (usually microwaves) reflected from their surfaces |
| ra.. | RA4 | A flat-bottomed craft able to float and drift on water, used for transport or as a waterborne platform. |
| ra.. | RA4 | Snatched, taken away; abducted. |
| ra..... | RA7 | A swiftly repeated knocking sound. |
| ra..... | RA7 | A device (trap) used to catch rats. |
| ru.. | RU4 | A circular frill or ruffle on a garment, especially a starched, fluted frill at the neck in Elizabethan and Jacobean England (1560s–1620s). |
| ta.. | TA4 | A tarpaulin. |
| ta.. | TA4 | Sharp to the taste; acid; sour. |
| ta.... | TA6 | A red compound deposited during wine making; mostly potassium hydrogen tartrate — a source of cream of tartar. |
| tr.. | TR4 | A machine or other device designed to catch (and sometimes kill) animals, either by holding them in a container, or by catching hold of part of the body. |
| tu.. | TU4 | A layer of earth covered with grass; sod. |
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.
- updraft† (UP7)
- afar (AF4)
- apart (AP5)
- apparat (AP7)
- attar (AT5)
- aura (AU4)
- dart (DA4)
- draft (DR5)
- drat (DR4)
- farad (FA5)
- fart (FA4)
- frat (FR4)
- fraud (FR5)
- part (PA4)
- prat (PR4)
- purr (PU4)
- radar (RA5)
- raft (RA4)
- rapt (RA4)
- ratatat (RA7)
- rattrap (RA7)
- ruff (RU4)
- tarp (TA4)
- tart (TA4)
- tartar (TA6)
- trap (TR4)
- turf (TU4)
Answer Definitions
- updraft† (noun): an upward current of air, especially a strong one
- afar (adverb): At, to, or from a great distance; far away.
- apart (adverb): Placed separately (in regard to space or time).
- apparat (noun): The Soviet machinery of state bureaucratic administration, or a similar communistic structure.
- attar (noun): An essential oil extracted from flowers.
- aura (noun): Distinctive atmosphere or quality associated with something.
- dart (noun): A pointed missile weapon, intended to be thrown by the hand; for example, a short lance or javelin.
- draft (noun): A current of air, usually coming into a room or vehicle.
- drat (verb): To damn or curse.
- farad (noun): In the International System of Units, the derived unit of electrical capacitance; the capacitance of a capacitor in which one coulomb of charge causes a potential difference of one volt across the capacitor. Symbol: F
- fart (verb): To emit digestive gases from the anus; to flatulate.
- frat (noun): Shortened form of fraternity, college organization.
- fraud (noun): The crime of stealing or otherwise illegally obtaining money by use of deception tactics.
- part (noun): A portion; a component. A fraction of a whole.
- prat (noun): A cunning or mischievous trick; a prank, a joke.
- purr (verb): Of a cat, to make a vibrating sound in its throat when contented.
- radar (noun): A method of detecting distant objects and determining their position, velocity, or other characteristics by analysis of sent radio waves (usually microwaves) reflected from their surfaces
- raft (noun): A flat-bottomed craft able to float and drift on water, used for transport or as a waterborne platform.
- rapt (adjective): Snatched, taken away; abducted.
- ratatat (noun): A swiftly repeated knocking sound.
- rattrap (noun): A device (trap) used to catch rats.
- ruff (noun): A circular frill or ruffle on a garment, especially a starched, fluted frill at the neck in Elizabethan and Jacobean England (1560s–1620s).
- tarp (noun): A tarpaulin.
- tart (adjective): Sharp to the taste; acid; sour.
- tartar (noun): A red compound deposited during wine making; mostly potassium hydrogen tartrate — a source of cream of tartar.
- trap (noun): A machine or other device designed to catch (and sometimes kill) animals, either by holding them in a container, or by catching hold of part of the body.
- turf (noun): A layer of earth covered with grass; sod.