NYT Spelling Bee Answers for October 17, 2023
Game Summary
| Center Letter | L |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | e, n, o, p, t, y |
| # of Pangrams | 1 (Perfect: none) |
| Total Words | 48 words |
| Total Points | 169 points |
| Genius Level | 118 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 | Σ | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | - | 3 |
| L | 7 | 4 | 2 | - | - | 13 |
| N | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | - | 3 |
| O | 2 | - | 1 | - | - | 3 |
| P | 9 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 17 |
| T | 3 | - | 2 | - | 2 | 7 |
| Y | 2 | - | - | - | - | 2 | Σ | 25 | 8 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 48 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| E | EE×1 EL×1 EY×1 |
|---|---|
| L | LE×2 LO×11 |
| N | NE×1 NO×1 NY×1 |
| O | OL×1 ON×1 OP×1 |
| P | PE×5 PL×4 PO×7 PY×1 |
| T | TE×3 TO×4 |
| Y | YE×2 |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| E | EEL×1 ELO×1 EYE×1 |
|---|---|
| L | LEN×2 LOL×2 LON×2 LOO×5 LOP×1 LOT×1 |
| N | NET×1 NOE×1 NYL×1 |
| O | OLE×1 ONL×1 OPE×1 |
| P | PEE×1 PEL×3 PEO×1 PLE×1 PLO×3 POL×5 POO×1 POT×1 PYL×1 |
| T | TEL×2 TEN×1 TOL×1 TOO×2 TOP×1 |
| Y | YEL×2 |
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) |
|---|---|---|
| po...... † | PO8 | In a potent manner; powerfully. |
| ee.. | EE4 | Resembling an eel: long, thin and slippery. |
| el... | EL5 | To run away from home with a paramour. |
| ey.... | EY6 | An object that consists of a rim and small hole or perforation to receive a cord or fastener, as in garments, sails, etc. |
| le.. | LE4 | Alternative letter-case form of Lent |
| le... | LE5 | Slow (45–60 bpm). |
| lo.. | LO4 | To act lazily or indolently while reclining; to lean; to lie at ease. |
| lo.... | LO6 | To walk or move with a bouncing or undulating motion and at an unhurried pace. |
| lo.. | LO4 | Solitary; having no companion. |
| lo.... | LO6 | Unhappy because of feeling isolated from contact with other people. |
| lo.. | LO4 | An idler, a lout. |
| lo... | LO5 | Insane. |
| lo.. | LO4 | A length of thread, line or rope that is doubled over to make an opening. |
| lo... | LO5 | Having loops. |
| lo.. | LO4 | A scoop used to remove scum from brine pans in saltworks. |
| lo.. | LO4 | To travel an easy pace with long strides. |
| lo... | LO5 | a game of chance similar to bingo |
| ne.... | NE6 | Any plant whose foliage is covered with stinging, mildly poisonous hairs, causing an instant rash. Especially, most species of herb genus Urtica, the stinging nettles: Most, but not all, subspecies of Urtica dioica (common nettle), Urtica incisa (Australian nettle); Wood nettle (Laportea canadensis); Bull nettles and spurge nettles of genus Cnidoscolus: Cnidoscolus stimulosus, bull nettle, spurge nettle, Cnidoscolus texanus, Texas bull nettle, Cnidoscolus urens, bull nettle, Nettle trees or tree nettles: Various species of the genus Dendrocnide: Urera baccifera (scratchbush), Urtica ferox (tree nettle); rock nettle (Eucnide); small-leaved nettle (Dendrocnide photinophylla). |
| no.. | NO4 | A kind of hymn, or canticle, of mediaeval origin, sung in honor of the birth of Christ; a Christmas carol. |
| ny... | NY5 | Originally, the DuPont company trade name for polyamide, a copolymer whose molecules consist of alternating diamine and dicarboxylic acid monomers bonded together; now generically used for this type of polymer. |
| ol.. | OL4 | A type of energy-absorbing landing gear strut in which sudden compression or extension of the strut causes a gas-filled chamber to push or pull a piston which forces oil through a small orifice, resulting in absorption of energy through viscous effects. |
| on.. | ON4 | Alone in a category. |
| op.... | OP6 | In an open manner, visibly, not covertly. |
| pe.. | PE4 | To remove the skin or outer covering of. |
| pe.... | PE6 | A small, compressed, hard chunk of matter. |
| pe..... | PE7 | A group of riders formed during a cycling road race; especially, the main group of riders; the pack. |
| pe.. | PE4 | The skin of a beast with the hair on; a raw or undressed hide; a skin preserved with the hairy or woolly covering on it. |
| pe.... | PE6 | Used as plural of person; a body of human beings considered generally or collectively; a group of two or more persons. |
| pl.... | PL6 | A more-than-adequate amount. |
| pl.. | PL4 | A sound or action like liquid hitting a hard surface, or an object falling into a body of water. |
| pl.. | PL4 | The course of a story, comprising a series of incidents which are gradually unfolded, sometimes by unexpected means. |
| pl.. | PL4 | A tactic, strategy, or scheme. |
| po.. | PO4 | Originally, a stick; now specifically, a long and slender piece of metal or (especially) wood, used for various construction or support purposes. |
| po.. | PO4 | A survey of people, usually statistically analyzed to gauge wider public opinion. |
| po.... | PO6 | A fine granular substance produced in flowers. Technically a collective term for pollen grains (microspores) produced in the anthers of flowering plants. (This specific usage dating from mid 18th century.) |
| po.. | PO4 | A ball game where two teams of players on horseback use long-handled mallets to propel the ball along the ground and into their opponent's goal. |
| po... | PO5 | An abnormal growth protruding from a mucous membrane. |
| po.. | PO4 | A small and rather deep area of (usually) fresh water, as one supplied by a spring, or occurring in the course of a stream or river; a reservoir for water. |
| py... | PY5 | A gateway to the inner part of an Ancient Egyptian temple. |
| te...... | TE8 | A telegraph that automatically prints transmited messages in letters rather than Morse code or other symbols, typically resembling a typewriter in appearance. |
| te.. | TE4 | To count, reckon, or enumerate. |
| te...... | TE8 | One of the poles used to hold up a tent. |
| to.. | TO4 | Loss or damage incurred through a disaster. |
| to.. | TO4 | A mechanical device intended to make a task easier. |
| to.... | TO6 | To make a soft toot sound. |
| to.... | TO6 | To push, throw over, overturn or overthrow something. |
| ye.. | YE4 | shout; holler; make a loud sound with the voice. |
| ye.. | YE4 | An abrupt, high-pitched noise or utterance. |
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.
- potently† (PO8)
- eely (EE4)
- elope (EL5)
- eyelet (EY6)
- lent (LE4)
- lento (LE5)
- loll (LO4)
- lollop (LO6)
- lone (LO4)
- lonely (LO6)
- loon (LO4)
- loony (LO5)
- loop (LO4)
- loopy (LO5)
- loot (LO4)
- lope (LO4)
- lotto (LO5)
- nettle (NE6)
- noel (NO4)
- nylon (NY5)
- oleo (OL4)
- only (ON4)
- openly (OP6)
- peel (PE4)
- pellet (PE6)
- peloton (PE7)
- pelt (PE4)
- people (PE6)
- plenty (PL6)
- plop (PL4)
- plot (PL4)
- ploy (PL4)
- pole (PO4)
- poll (PO4)
- pollen (PO6)
- polo (PO4)
- polyp (PO5)
- pool (PO4)
- pylon (PY5)
- teletype (TE8)
- tell (TE4)
- tentpole (TE8)
- toll (TO4)
- tool (TO4)
- tootle (TO6)
- topple (TO6)
- yell (YE4)
- yelp (YE4)
Answer Definitions
- potently† (adverb): In a potent manner; powerfully.
- eely (adjective): Resembling an eel: long, thin and slippery.
- elope (verb): To run away from home with a paramour.
- eyelet (noun): An object that consists of a rim and small hole or perforation to receive a cord or fastener, as in garments, sails, etc.
- lent (noun): Alternative letter-case form of Lent
- lento (adjective): Slow (45–60 bpm).
- loll (verb): To act lazily or indolently while reclining; to lean; to lie at ease.
- lollop (verb): To walk or move with a bouncing or undulating motion and at an unhurried pace.
- lone (adjective): Solitary; having no companion.
- lonely (adjective): Unhappy because of feeling isolated from contact with other people.
- loon (noun): An idler, a lout.
- loony (adjective): Insane.
- loop (noun): A length of thread, line or rope that is doubled over to make an opening.
- loopy (adjective): Having loops.
- loot (noun): A scoop used to remove scum from brine pans in saltworks.
- lope (verb): To travel an easy pace with long strides.
- lotto (noun): a game of chance similar to bingo
- nettle (noun): Any plant whose foliage is covered with stinging, mildly poisonous hairs, causing an instant rash. Especially, most species of herb genus Urtica, the stinging nettles: Most, but not all, subspecies of Urtica dioica (common nettle), Urtica incisa (Australian nettle); Wood nettle (Laportea canadensis); Bull nettles and spurge nettles of genus Cnidoscolus: Cnidoscolus stimulosus, bull nettle, spurge nettle, Cnidoscolus texanus, Texas bull nettle, Cnidoscolus urens, bull nettle, Nettle trees or tree nettles: Various species of the genus Dendrocnide: Urera baccifera (scratchbush), Urtica ferox (tree nettle); rock nettle (Eucnide); small-leaved nettle (Dendrocnide photinophylla).
- noel (noun): A kind of hymn, or canticle, of mediaeval origin, sung in honor of the birth of Christ; a Christmas carol.
- nylon (noun): Originally, the DuPont company trade name for polyamide, a copolymer whose molecules consist of alternating diamine and dicarboxylic acid monomers bonded together; now generically used for this type of polymer.
- oleo (noun): A type of energy-absorbing landing gear strut in which sudden compression or extension of the strut causes a gas-filled chamber to push or pull a piston which forces oil through a small orifice, resulting in absorption of energy through viscous effects.
- only (adjective): Alone in a category.
- openly (adverb): In an open manner, visibly, not covertly.
- peel (verb): To remove the skin or outer covering of.
- pellet (noun): A small, compressed, hard chunk of matter.
- peloton (noun): A group of riders formed during a cycling road race; especially, the main group of riders; the pack.
- pelt (noun): The skin of a beast with the hair on; a raw or undressed hide; a skin preserved with the hairy or woolly covering on it.
- people (noun): Used as plural of person; a body of human beings considered generally or collectively; a group of two or more persons.
- plenty (noun): A more-than-adequate amount.
- plop (noun): A sound or action like liquid hitting a hard surface, or an object falling into a body of water.
- plot (noun): The course of a story, comprising a series of incidents which are gradually unfolded, sometimes by unexpected means.
- ploy (noun): A tactic, strategy, or scheme.
- pole (noun): Originally, a stick; now specifically, a long and slender piece of metal or (especially) wood, used for various construction or support purposes.
- poll (noun): A survey of people, usually statistically analyzed to gauge wider public opinion.
- pollen (noun): A fine granular substance produced in flowers. Technically a collective term for pollen grains (microspores) produced in the anthers of flowering plants. (This specific usage dating from mid 18th century.)
- polo (noun): A ball game where two teams of players on horseback use long-handled mallets to propel the ball along the ground and into their opponent's goal.
- polyp (noun): An abnormal growth protruding from a mucous membrane.
- pool (noun): A small and rather deep area of (usually) fresh water, as one supplied by a spring, or occurring in the course of a stream or river; a reservoir for water.
- pylon (noun): A gateway to the inner part of an Ancient Egyptian temple.
- teletype (noun): A telegraph that automatically prints transmited messages in letters rather than Morse code or other symbols, typically resembling a typewriter in appearance.
- tell (verb): To count, reckon, or enumerate.
- tentpole (noun): One of the poles used to hold up a tent.
- toll (noun): Loss or damage incurred through a disaster.
- tool (noun): A mechanical device intended to make a task easier.
- tootle (verb): To make a soft toot sound.
- topple (verb): To push, throw over, overturn or overthrow something.
- yell (verb): shout; holler; make a loud sound with the voice.
- yelp (noun): An abrupt, high-pitched noise or utterance.