NYT Spelling Bee Answers for September 30, 2023
Game Summary
| Center Letter | I |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | a, c, h, l, o, t |
| # of Pangrams | 1 (Perfect: none) |
| Total Words | 61 words |
| Total Points | 267 points |
| Genius Level | 187 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</th><th>8</th><th>9</th><th>10 | Σ | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 2 | 3 | 1 | - | - | 1 | - | 7 |
| C | 6 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | - | 1 | 23 |
| H | 3 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 4 |
| I | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | 5 |
| L | 3 | 3 | 3 | - | - | - | - | 9 |
| O | 1 | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | 2 |
| T | 5 | 2 | 2 | - | 2 | - | - | 11 | Σ | 22 | 18 | 10 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 61 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| A | AC×2 AI×1 AL×2 AT×2 |
|---|---|
| C | CA×4 CH×11 CI×2 CO×6 |
| H | HA×1 HI×3 |
| I | IL×2 IO×1 IT×2 |
| L | LA×3 LI×5 LO×1 |
| O | OI×1 OL×1 |
| T | TA×7 TI×3 TO×1 |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| A | ACA×2 AIO×1 ALC×1 ALI×1 ATI×1 ATT×1 |
|---|---|
| C | CAC×1 CAL×1 CAT×2 CHA×2 CHI×8 CHO×1 CIA×1 CIL×1 COA×2 COC×1 COI×2 COL×1 |
| H | HAI×1 HIL×2 HIT×1 |
| I | ILI×1 ILL×1 IOT×1 ITA×1 ITC×1 |
| L | LAC×1 LAI×2 LIC×1 LIL×2 LIT×2 LOC×1 |
| O | OIL×1 OLI×1 |
| T | TAC×3 TAI×2 TAL×2 TIL×3 TOI×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) |
|---|---|---|
| ca...... † | CA8 | Universal; all-encompassing. |
| ac.... | AC6 | A shrub or tree of the tribe Acacieae. |
| ac.. | AC4 | Any of several South American palms, of the genus Euterpe, having a dark purple drupe. |
| ai... | AI5 | A type of sauce, similar to mayonnaise, made from garlic, egg, lemon juice and olive oil. |
| al....... | AL9 | A person addicted to alcohol. |
| al.. | AL4 | simple past tense and past participle of alight |
| at... | AT5 | At an angle from the vertical or horizontal. |
| at... | AT5 | The space, often unfinished and with sloped walls, directly below the roof in the uppermost part of a house or other building, generally used for storage or habitation. |
| ca... | CA5 | plural of cactus |
| ca.... | CA6 | A kind of rough cloth made from unbleached and not fully processed cotton, often printed with a bright pattern. |
| ca..... | CA7 | Any of several perennial herbs, of the genus Typha, that have long flat leaves, and grow in marshy places. |
| ch.. | CH4 | A female gypsy. |
| ch..... | CH7 | filled with chaos. |
| ch.. | CH4 | A Mexican sage grown for its edible seeds, Salvia hispanica. |
| ch.. | CH4 | Elegant, stylish. |
| ch... | CH5 | A Latin-American girl; a Latina. |
| ch.... | CH6 | Affectedly trendy; chic and stylish in a pretentious way. |
| ch... | CH5 | The pungent, spicy fresh or dried fruit of any of several cultivated varieties of capsicum peppers, used in cooking. |
| ch... | CH5 | A moderate, but uncomfortable and penetrating coldness. |
| ch.. | CH4 | A child or babe; a young, small, or insignificant person or animal. |
| ch...... | CH8 | Alternative spelling of chit-chat |
| ch........ | CH10 | Someone who has such a liking for chocolate that they appear to be addicted to it. |
| ci.. | CI4 | hello, hi. |
| ci... | CI5 | plural of cilium |
| co... | CO5 | Any of several omnivorous mammals, of the genus Nasua or Nasuella, in order Carnivora, that live in the range from southern United States to northern Argentina. |
| co...... | CO8 | The flap at the back of a coat that hangs down, sometimes below the waist. |
| co... | CO5 | plural of coccus |
| co.. | CO4 | Something wound in the form of a helix or spiral. |
| co.... | CO6 | of or relating to the sex act or coitus |
| co... | CO5 | Severe pains that grip the abdomen or the disease that causes such pains (due to intestinal or bowel-related problems). |
| ha.. | HA4 | Balls or pieces of ice falling as precipitation, often in connection with a thunderstorm. |
| hi.. | HI4 | An elevated landmass smaller than a mountain. |
| hi.. | HI4 | The handle of a sword, consisting of grip, guard, and pommel, designed to facilitate use of the blade and afford protection to the hand. |
| hi... | HI5 | A sudden pull. |
| il... | IL5 | Relating to the ilium. |
| il..... | IL7 | Not approved by law, but not invalid. |
| io.. | IO4 | The ninth letter of the Greek alphabet. |
| it.... | IT6 | Designed to resemble a handwriting style developed in Italy in the 16th century. |
| it.. | IT4 | A sensation felt on an area of the skin that causes a person or animal to want to scratch said area. |
| la.... | LA6 | Of, relating to, or derived from milk. |
| la.. | LA4 | A layperson, as opposed to a member of the clergy. |
| la.... | LA6 | Of or pertaining to a layperson, layman, laywoman, or laypeople (laity). |
| li... | LI5 | Not forbidden by formal or informal rules. |
| li... | LI5 | A large shrub of the genus Syringa, especially Syringa vulgaris, bearing white, pale-pink, or purple flowers. |
| li.. | LI4 | To do something rhythmically, with animation and quickness, usually of music. |
| li.... | LI6 | Synonym of lychee |
| li... | LI5 | Clipping of lithographic. |
| lo.. | LO4 | plural of locus |
| oi...... | OI8 | A fabric or cloth treated on one side with a waterproof covering, especially one made from linseed oil etc.; used for flooring, tablecloths, kitchen shelves and sometimes furniture covering. |
| ol.. | OL4 | A rich, thick, Spanish stew consisting of meat and vegetables. |
| ta... | TA5 | Implied, but not made explicit, especially through silence. |
| ta.... | TA6 | A maneuver, or action calculated to achieve some end. |
| ta...... | TA8 | of or relating to tactics |
| ta.. | TA4 | The caudal appendage of an animal that is attached to its posterior and near the anus. |
| ta...... | TA8 | A formal evening jacket with an extended back panel; a dress coat. |
| ta.. | TA4 | plural of talus |
| ta.... | TA6 | A traditional Jewish prayer shawl with tassels which covers the chest and upper part of the back. |
| ti.. | TI4 | Until; to, up to; as late as (a given time). |
| ti.. | TI4 | To slope or incline (something); to slant. |
| ti... | TI5 | Agricultural labour; husbandry. |
| to.. | TO4 | Labour, work, especially of a grueling nature. |
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.
- catholic† (CA8)
- acacia (AC6)
- acai (AC4)
- aioli (AI5)
- alcoholic (AL9)
- alit (AL4)
- atilt (AT5)
- attic (AT5)
- cacti (CA5)
- calico (CA6)
- cattail (CA7)
- chai (CH4)
- chaotic (CH7)
- chia (CH4)
- chic (CH4)
- chica (CH5)
- chichi (CH6)
- chili (CH5)
- chill (CH5)
- chit (CH4)
- chitchat (CH8)
- chocoholic (CH10)
- ciao (CI4)
- cilia (CI5)
- coati (CO5)
- coattail (CO8)
- cocci (CO5)
- coil (CO4)
- coital (CO6)
- colic (CO5)
- hail (HA4)
- hill (HI4)
- hilt (HI4)
- hitch (HI5)
- iliac (IL5)
- illicit (IL7)
- iota (IO4)
- italic (IT6)
- itch (IT4)
- lactic (LA6)
- laic (LA4)
- laical (LA6)
- licit (LI5)
- lilac (LI5)
- lilt (LI4)
- litchi (LI6)
- litho (LI5)
- loci (LO4)
- oilcloth (OI8)
- olio (OL4)
- tacit (TA5)
- tactic (TA6)
- tactical (TA8)
- tail (TA4)
- tailcoat (TA8)
- tali (TA4)
- tallit (TA6)
- till (TI4)
- tilt (TI4)
- tilth (TI5)
- toil (TO4)
Answer Definitions
- catholic† (adjective): Universal; all-encompassing.
- acacia (noun): A shrub or tree of the tribe Acacieae.
- acai (noun): Any of several South American palms, of the genus Euterpe, having a dark purple drupe.
- aioli (noun): A type of sauce, similar to mayonnaise, made from garlic, egg, lemon juice and olive oil.
- alcoholic (noun): A person addicted to alcohol.
- alit (verb): simple past tense and past participle of alight
- atilt (adjective): At an angle from the vertical or horizontal.
- attic (noun): The space, often unfinished and with sloped walls, directly below the roof in the uppermost part of a house or other building, generally used for storage or habitation.
- cacti (noun): plural of cactus
- calico (noun): A kind of rough cloth made from unbleached and not fully processed cotton, often printed with a bright pattern.
- cattail (noun): Any of several perennial herbs, of the genus Typha, that have long flat leaves, and grow in marshy places.
- chai (noun): A female gypsy.
- chaotic (adjective): filled with chaos.
- chia (noun): A Mexican sage grown for its edible seeds, Salvia hispanica.
- chic (adjective): Elegant, stylish.
- chica (noun): A Latin-American girl; a Latina.
- chichi (adjective): Affectedly trendy; chic and stylish in a pretentious way.
- chili (noun): The pungent, spicy fresh or dried fruit of any of several cultivated varieties of capsicum peppers, used in cooking.
- chill (noun): A moderate, but uncomfortable and penetrating coldness.
- chit (noun): A child or babe; a young, small, or insignificant person or animal.
- chitchat (noun): Alternative spelling of chit-chat
- chocoholic (noun): Someone who has such a liking for chocolate that they appear to be addicted to it.
- ciao (interjection): hello, hi.
- cilia (noun): plural of cilium
- coati (noun): Any of several omnivorous mammals, of the genus Nasua or Nasuella, in order Carnivora, that live in the range from southern United States to northern Argentina.
- coattail (noun): The flap at the back of a coat that hangs down, sometimes below the waist.
- cocci (noun): plural of coccus
- coil (noun): Something wound in the form of a helix or spiral.
- coital (adjective): of or relating to the sex act or coitus
- colic (noun): Severe pains that grip the abdomen or the disease that causes such pains (due to intestinal or bowel-related problems).
- hail (noun): Balls or pieces of ice falling as precipitation, often in connection with a thunderstorm.
- hill (noun): An elevated landmass smaller than a mountain.
- hilt (noun): The handle of a sword, consisting of grip, guard, and pommel, designed to facilitate use of the blade and afford protection to the hand.
- hitch (noun): A sudden pull.
- iliac (adjective): Relating to the ilium.
- illicit (adjective): Not approved by law, but not invalid.
- iota (noun): The ninth letter of the Greek alphabet.
- italic (adjective): Designed to resemble a handwriting style developed in Italy in the 16th century.
- itch (noun): A sensation felt on an area of the skin that causes a person or animal to want to scratch said area.
- lactic (adjective): Of, relating to, or derived from milk.
- laic (noun): A layperson, as opposed to a member of the clergy.
- laical (adjective): Of or pertaining to a layperson, layman, laywoman, or laypeople (laity).
- licit (adjective): Not forbidden by formal or informal rules.
- lilac (noun): A large shrub of the genus Syringa, especially Syringa vulgaris, bearing white, pale-pink, or purple flowers.
- lilt (verb): To do something rhythmically, with animation and quickness, usually of music.
- litchi (noun): Synonym of lychee
- litho (adjective): Clipping of lithographic.
- loci (noun): plural of locus
- oilcloth (noun): A fabric or cloth treated on one side with a waterproof covering, especially one made from linseed oil etc.; used for flooring, tablecloths, kitchen shelves and sometimes furniture covering.
- olio (noun): A rich, thick, Spanish stew consisting of meat and vegetables.
- tacit (adjective): Implied, but not made explicit, especially through silence.
- tactic (noun): A maneuver, or action calculated to achieve some end.
- tactical (adjective): of or relating to tactics
- tail (noun): The caudal appendage of an animal that is attached to its posterior and near the anus.
- tailcoat (noun): A formal evening jacket with an extended back panel; a dress coat.
- tali (noun): plural of talus
- tallit (noun): A traditional Jewish prayer shawl with tassels which covers the chest and upper part of the back.
- till (preposition): Until; to, up to; as late as (a given time).
- tilt (verb): To slope or incline (something); to slant.
- tilth (noun): Agricultural labour; husbandry.
- toil (noun): Labour, work, especially of a grueling nature.