NYT Spelling Bee Answers for October 20, 2023
Game Summary
| Center Letter | L |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | a, c, h, n, t, u |
| # of Pangrams | 1 (Perfect: 1) |
| Total Words | 42 words |
| Total Points | 161 points |
| Genius Level | 113 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 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 1 | 2 | 2 | - | - | 5 |
| C | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 12 |
| H | 5 | 1 | - | - | - | 6 |
| L | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 | - | 11 |
| N | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | 2 |
| T | 2 | - | - | 1 | - | 3 |
| U | 1 | - | - | 1 | 1 | 3 | Σ | 20 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 42 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| A | AC×1 AN×4 |
|---|---|
| C | CA×7 CH×1 CL×2 CU×2 |
| H | HA×4 HU×2 |
| L | LA×5 LU×6 |
| N | NA×1 NU×1 |
| T | TA×3 |
| U | UL×1 UN×2 |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| A | ACT×1 ANA×1 ANN×3 |
|---|---|
| C | CAL×2 CAN×2 CAT×2 CAU×1 CHA×1 CLA×1 CLU×1 CUL×2 |
| H | HAL×3 HAU×1 HUL×2 |
| L | LAC×1 LAN×1 LAT×2 LAU×1 LUA×1 LUL×2 LUN×3 |
| N | NAT×1 NUL×1 |
| T | TAC×1 TAL×2 |
| U | ULN×1 UNC×1 UNL×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) |
|---|---|---|
| un..... † | UN7 | Remove from a latch |
| ac.... | AC6 | relating to a person's acts or deeds; active, practical |
| an.. | AN4 | of, related to, intended for or involving the anus. |
| an... | AN5 | The record of a single event or item. |
| an.... | AN6 | Happening once every year. |
| an... | AN5 | To formally revoke the validity of. |
| ca.. | CA4 | A telephone conversation; a phone call. |
| ca... | CA5 | A marsh plant native to cooler areas throughout the northern hemisphere, Calla palustris, having pale green flowers in a white spathe. |
| ca... | CA5 | An artificial waterway or artificially improved river used for travel, shipping, or irrigation. |
| ca..... | CA7 | A tube inserted in the body to drain or inject fluid. |
| ca..... | CA7 | A shout or whistle expressing dislike, especially from a crowd or audience; a jeer, a boo. |
| ca...... | CA8 | Alternative form of catch-all |
| ca.. | CA4 | A style of close-fitting circular cap worn by women in the sixteenth century and later, often made of linen. |
| ch..... | CH7 | A traditional bread eaten by Ashkenazi Jews, usually braided for the Sabbath and round for a yom tov. |
| cl.. | CL4 | A group of people all descended from a common ancestor, in fact or belief, especially when the exact genealogies are not known. |
| cl.... | CL6 | To seize, as though with claws. |
| cu.. | CU4 | To pick or take someone or something (from a larger group). |
| cu.. | CU4 | A group, sect or movement following an unorthodox religious or philosophical system of beliefs, especially one in which members remove and exclude themselves from greater society, including family members not part of the cult, and show extreme devotion to a charismatic leader. |
| ha... | HA5 | Permissible, according to Muslim religious customs, to have or do. |
| ha.. | HA4 | A corridor; a hallway. |
| ha.. | HA4 | To limp; move with a limping gait. |
| ha.. | HA4 | To transport by drawing or pulling, as with horses or oxen, or a motor vehicle. |
| hu.. | HU4 | A form of chant and dance, which was developed in the Hawaiian Islands by the Polynesians who originally settled there. |
| hu.. | HU4 | The outer covering of a fruit or seed. |
| la.... | LA6 | A small opening; a small pit or depression, especially in bone. A space visible between cells, allowing free passage of light. |
| la..... | LA7 | Any member of the genus Lantana of perennial verbenas with aromatic flower clusters. |
| la... | LA5 | To close or lock as if with a latch. |
| la.. | LA4 | A thin, narrow strip, fastened to the rafters, studs, or floor beams of a building, for the purpose of supporting a covering of tiles, plastering, etc. |
| la.... | LA6 | To throw (a projectile such as a lance, dart or ball); to hurl; to propel with force. |
| lu.. | LU4 | An elaborate Hawaiian feast featuring traditional foods and entertainment. |
| lu.. | LU4 | A period of rest or soothing. |
| lu.. | LU4 | A remarkable person, object or idea. |
| lu.. | LU4 | A luna moth: a member of species Actias luna. |
| lu... | LU5 | A light meal usually eaten around midday, notably when not as main meal of the day. |
| lu.... | LU6 | Something shaped like a crescent or half-moon; especially the pale area at the base of the fingernail. |
| na... | NA5 | Of or relating to birth. |
| nu.. | NU4 | A non-existent or empty value or set of values. |
| ta..... | TA7 | Of, or relating to the sense of touch. |
| ta.. | TA4 | Originally a large range of transparent or glistening foliated minerals. Examples include mica, selenite and the hydrated magnesium silicate that the term talc generally has referred to in modern times (see below). Also an item made of such a mineral and depending for its function on the special nature of the mineral (see next). Mediaeval writers adopted the term from the Arabic. |
| ta.. | TA4 | Having a vertical extent greater than the average. For example, somebody with a height of over 6 feet would generally be considered to be tall. |
| ul.. | UL4 | The bone of the forearm that extends from the elbow to the wrist on the side opposite to the thumb, corresponding to the fibula of the hind limb. Also, the corresponding bone in the forelimb of any vertebrate. |
| un...... | UN8 | To open (something tightly closed). |
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.
- unlatch† (UN7)
- actual (AC6)
- anal (AN4)
- annal (AN5)
- annual (AN6)
- annul (AN5)
- call (CA4)
- calla (CA5)
- canal (CA5)
- cannula (CA7)
- catcall (CA7)
- catchall (CA8)
- caul (CA4)
- challah (CH7)
- clan (CL4)
- clutch (CL6)
- cull (CU4)
- cult (CU4)
- halal (HA5)
- hall (HA4)
- halt (HA4)
- haul (HA4)
- hula (HU4)
- hull (HU4)
- lacuna (LA6)
- lantana (LA7)
- latch (LA5)
- lath (LA4)
- launch (LA6)
- luau (LU4)
- lull (LU4)
- lulu (LU4)
- luna (LU4)
- lunch (LU5)
- lunula (LU6)
- natal (NA5)
- null (NU4)
- tactual (TA7)
- talc (TA4)
- tall (TA4)
- ulna (UL4)
- unclutch (UN8)
Answer Definitions
- unlatch† (verb): Remove from a latch
- actual (adjective): relating to a person's acts or deeds; active, practical
- anal (adjective): of, related to, intended for or involving the anus.
- annal (noun): The record of a single event or item.
- annual (adjective): Happening once every year.
- annul (verb): To formally revoke the validity of.
- call (noun): A telephone conversation; a phone call.
- calla (noun): A marsh plant native to cooler areas throughout the northern hemisphere, Calla palustris, having pale green flowers in a white spathe.
- canal (noun): An artificial waterway or artificially improved river used for travel, shipping, or irrigation.
- cannula (noun): A tube inserted in the body to drain or inject fluid.
- catcall (noun): A shout or whistle expressing dislike, especially from a crowd or audience; a jeer, a boo.
- catchall (noun): Alternative form of catch-all
- caul (noun): A style of close-fitting circular cap worn by women in the sixteenth century and later, often made of linen.
- challah (noun): A traditional bread eaten by Ashkenazi Jews, usually braided for the Sabbath and round for a yom tov.
- clan (noun): A group of people all descended from a common ancestor, in fact or belief, especially when the exact genealogies are not known.
- clutch (verb): To seize, as though with claws.
- cull (verb): To pick or take someone or something (from a larger group).
- cult (noun): A group, sect or movement following an unorthodox religious or philosophical system of beliefs, especially one in which members remove and exclude themselves from greater society, including family members not part of the cult, and show extreme devotion to a charismatic leader.
- halal (adjective): Permissible, according to Muslim religious customs, to have or do.
- hall (noun): A corridor; a hallway.
- halt (verb): To limp; move with a limping gait.
- haul (verb): To transport by drawing or pulling, as with horses or oxen, or a motor vehicle.
- hula (noun): A form of chant and dance, which was developed in the Hawaiian Islands by the Polynesians who originally settled there.
- hull (noun): The outer covering of a fruit or seed.
- lacuna (noun): A small opening; a small pit or depression, especially in bone. A space visible between cells, allowing free passage of light.
- lantana (noun): Any member of the genus Lantana of perennial verbenas with aromatic flower clusters.
- latch (verb): To close or lock as if with a latch.
- lath (noun): A thin, narrow strip, fastened to the rafters, studs, or floor beams of a building, for the purpose of supporting a covering of tiles, plastering, etc.
- launch (verb): To throw (a projectile such as a lance, dart or ball); to hurl; to propel with force.
- luau (noun): An elaborate Hawaiian feast featuring traditional foods and entertainment.
- lull (noun): A period of rest or soothing.
- lulu (noun): A remarkable person, object or idea.
- luna (noun): A luna moth: a member of species Actias luna.
- lunch (noun): A light meal usually eaten around midday, notably when not as main meal of the day.
- lunula (noun): Something shaped like a crescent or half-moon; especially the pale area at the base of the fingernail.
- natal (adjective): Of or relating to birth.
- null (noun): A non-existent or empty value or set of values.
- tactual (adjective): Of, or relating to the sense of touch.
- talc (noun): Originally a large range of transparent or glistening foliated minerals. Examples include mica, selenite and the hydrated magnesium silicate that the term talc generally has referred to in modern times (see below). Also an item made of such a mineral and depending for its function on the special nature of the mineral (see next). Mediaeval writers adopted the term from the Arabic.
- tall (adjective): Having a vertical extent greater than the average. For example, somebody with a height of over 6 feet would generally be considered to be tall.
- ulna (noun): The bone of the forearm that extends from the elbow to the wrist on the side opposite to the thumb, corresponding to the fibula of the hind limb. Also, the corresponding bone in the forelimb of any vertebrate.
- unclutch (verb): To open (something tightly closed).