NYT Spelling Bee Answers for December 9, 2023
Game Summary
| Center Letter | L |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | e, g, m, o, t, y |
| # of Pangrams | 1 (Perfect: none) |
| Total Words | 50 words |
| Total Points | 208 points |
| Genius Level | 146 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 | Σ | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | - | 1 | 4 |
| G | 3 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 1 | - | 15 |
| L | 6 | 2 | - | - | - | - | 8 |
| M | 4 | 4 | 3 | - | - | - | 11 |
| O | 2 | - | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | 5 |
| T | 3 | - | 2 | - | - | 1 | 6 |
| Y | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | Σ | 20 | 11 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 50 |
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 ET×1 EY×1 |
|---|---|
| G | GE×4 GL×4 GO×7 |
| L | LE×1 LO×7 |
| M | ME×4 MO×7 |
| O | OG×1 OL×1 OM×2 OT×1 |
| T | TE×2 TO×4 |
| Y | YE×1 |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| E | EEL×1 ELE×1 ETY×1 EYE×1 |
|---|---|
| G | GEL×2 GEM×1 GEO×1 GLE×1 GLO×3 GOG×2 GOL×2 GOO×3 |
| L | LEG×1 LOG×3 LOL×1 LOO×2 LOT×1 |
| M | MEL×3 MET×1 MOL×4 MOT×3 |
| O | OGL×1 OLE×1 OME×2 OTO×1 |
| T | TEL×2 TOG×1 TOL×1 TOO×2 |
| Y | YEL×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) |
|---|---|---|
| et....... † | ET9 | The study of the historical development of languages, particularly as manifested in individual words. |
| ee.. | EE4 | Resembling an eel: long, thin and slippery. |
| el... | EL5 | A mournful or plaintive poem; a funeral song; a poem of lamentation. |
| 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. |
| ge... | GE5 | Any gelled suspension made for culinary purposes. |
| ge.. | GE4 | A lunatic. |
| ge...... | GE8 | The art and science of gems. |
| ge..... | GE7 | The science that studies the structure of the earth (or other planets), together with its origin and development, especially by examination of its rocks. |
| gl.. | GL4 | Joy; happiness great delight, especially from one's own good fortune or from another's misfortune. |
| gl.. | GL4 | To steal, to grab. |
| gl... | GL5 | Darkness, dimness, or obscurity. |
| gl.... | GL6 | Not very illuminated; dim because of darkness, especially when appearing depressing or frightening. |
| go.... | GO6 | To stare (at something) with wide eyes. |
| go.... | GO6 | Resembling goggles, used mostly in relation to eyes. |
| go... | GO5 | A humanoid creature made from clay, animated by magic. |
| go... | GO5 | God! |
| go.... | GO6 | To bowl (a cricket ball) so that it performs a googly (“a ball by a leg-break bowler that spins from off to leg (to a right-handed batsman), unlike a normal leg-break delivery”). |
| go.... | GO6 | A ball, bowled by a leg-break bowler, that spins from off to leg (to a right-handed batsman), unlike a normal leg-break delivery. |
| go.... | GO6 | The number 10 100 {\displaystyle 10^{100}} , or ten to the power of a hundred. Equivalent to ten duotrigintillion (short scale), or ten sedecilliard (long scale). |
| le... | LE5 | Having long, attractive legs; long-legged. |
| lo.. | LO4 | A booth or stall. |
| lo.. | LO4 | A visual symbol or emblem that acts as a trademark or a means of identification of a company or organization. |
| lo.. | LO4 | Slow to respond or react; lethargic. |
| lo.. | LO4 | To act lazily or indolently while reclining; to lean; to lie at ease. |
| lo.. | LO4 | A utensil; tool; a weapon; an article in general. |
| lo.. | LO4 | A scoop used to remove scum from brine pans in saltworks. |
| lo... | LO5 | a game of chance similar to bingo |
| me... | ME5 | A battle fought at close range; hand-to-hand combat; brawling. |
| me.. | ME4 | Molten material, the product of melting. |
| me... | ME5 | Having a high tendency to melt. |
| me.... | ME6 | A quality of endurance and courage. |
| mo.. | MO4 | A pigmented spot on the skin, a naevus, slightly raised, and sometimes hairy. |
| mo.. | MO4 | A female companion of a gangster, especially a former or current prostitute. |
| mo... | MO5 | A woman or girl, especially of low status. |
| mo.. | MO4 | US standard spelling of moult. |
| mo... | MO5 | A type of hotel or lodging establishment, often located near a major highway, which typically features a series of rooms the entrances of which are immediately adjacent to a parking lot to facilitate convenient access to automobiles parked there. |
| mo.... | MO6 | Comprising greatly varied elements, to the point of incongruity. |
| mo.... | MO6 | To mark with blotches of different color, or shades of color, as if stained; to spot; to maculate. |
| og.. | OG4 | To stare at (someone or something), especially impertinently, amorously, or covetously. |
| 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. |
| om.... | OM6 | Alternative form of omelette |
| om...... | OM8 | A dish made with beaten eggs cooked in a frying pan without stirring, flipped over to cook on both sides, and sometimes filled or topped with cheese, chives or other foodstuffs. |
| ot..... | OT7 | The branch of medicine that deals with the ear, its structure, function and pathology. |
| te....... | TE9 | The study of the purpose or design of natural occurrences. |
| te.. | TE4 | To count, reckon, or enumerate. |
| to.... | TO6 | A wooden or metal pin, short rod, crosspiece or similar, fixed transversely in the eye of a rope or chain to be secured to any other loop, ring, or bight, e.g. a sea painter to a lifeboat. |
| 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. |
| ye.. | YE4 | shout; holler; make a loud sound with the voice. |
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.
- etymology† (ET9)
- eely (EE4)
- elegy (EL5)
- eyelet (EY6)
- gelee (GE5)
- gelt (GE4)
- gemology (GE8)
- geology (GE7)
- glee (GL4)
- glom (GL4)
- gloom (GL5)
- gloomy (GL6)
- goggle (GO6)
- goggly (GO6)
- golem (GO5)
- golly (GO5)
- google (GO6)
- googly (GO6)
- googol (GO6)
- leggy (LE5)
- loge (LO4)
- logo (LO4)
- logy (LO4)
- loll (LO4)
- loom (LO4)
- loot (LO4)
- lotto (LO5)
- melee (ME5)
- melt (ME4)
- melty (ME5)
- mettle (ME6)
- mole (MO4)
- moll (MO4)
- molly (MO5)
- molt (MO4)
- motel (MO5)
- motley (MO6)
- mottle (MO6)
- ogle (OG4)
- oleo (OL4)
- omelet (OM6)
- omelette (OM8)
- otology (OT7)
- teleology (TE9)
- tell (TE4)
- toggle (TO6)
- toll (TO4)
- tool (TO4)
- tootle (TO6)
- yell (YE4)
Answer Definitions
- etymology† (noun): The study of the historical development of languages, particularly as manifested in individual words.
- eely (adjective): Resembling an eel: long, thin and slippery.
- elegy (noun): A mournful or plaintive poem; a funeral song; a poem of lamentation.
- 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.
- gelee (noun): Any gelled suspension made for culinary purposes.
- gelt (noun): A lunatic.
- gemology (noun): The art and science of gems.
- geology (noun): The science that studies the structure of the earth (or other planets), together with its origin and development, especially by examination of its rocks.
- glee (noun): Joy; happiness great delight, especially from one's own good fortune or from another's misfortune.
- glom (verb): To steal, to grab.
- gloom (noun): Darkness, dimness, or obscurity.
- gloomy (adjective): Not very illuminated; dim because of darkness, especially when appearing depressing or frightening.
- goggle (verb): To stare (at something) with wide eyes.
- goggly (adjective): Resembling goggles, used mostly in relation to eyes.
- golem (noun): A humanoid creature made from clay, animated by magic.
- golly (interjection): God!
- google (verb): To bowl (a cricket ball) so that it performs a googly (“a ball by a leg-break bowler that spins from off to leg (to a right-handed batsman), unlike a normal leg-break delivery”).
- googly (noun): A ball, bowled by a leg-break bowler, that spins from off to leg (to a right-handed batsman), unlike a normal leg-break delivery.
- googol (numeral): The number 10 100 {\displaystyle 10^{100}} , or ten to the power of a hundred. Equivalent to ten duotrigintillion (short scale), or ten sedecilliard (long scale).
- leggy (adjective): Having long, attractive legs; long-legged.
- loge (noun): A booth or stall.
- logo (noun): A visual symbol or emblem that acts as a trademark or a means of identification of a company or organization.
- logy (adjective): Slow to respond or react; lethargic.
- loll (verb): To act lazily or indolently while reclining; to lean; to lie at ease.
- loom (noun): A utensil; tool; a weapon; an article in general.
- loot (noun): A scoop used to remove scum from brine pans in saltworks.
- lotto (noun): a game of chance similar to bingo
- melee (noun): A battle fought at close range; hand-to-hand combat; brawling.
- melt (noun): Molten material, the product of melting.
- melty (adjective): Having a high tendency to melt.
- mettle (noun): A quality of endurance and courage.
- mole (noun): A pigmented spot on the skin, a naevus, slightly raised, and sometimes hairy.
- moll (noun): A female companion of a gangster, especially a former or current prostitute.
- molly (noun): A woman or girl, especially of low status.
- molt (verb): US standard spelling of moult.
- motel (noun): A type of hotel or lodging establishment, often located near a major highway, which typically features a series of rooms the entrances of which are immediately adjacent to a parking lot to facilitate convenient access to automobiles parked there.
- motley (adjective): Comprising greatly varied elements, to the point of incongruity.
- mottle (verb): To mark with blotches of different color, or shades of color, as if stained; to spot; to maculate.
- ogle (verb): To stare at (someone or something), especially impertinently, amorously, or covetously.
- 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.
- omelet (noun): Alternative form of omelette
- omelette (noun): A dish made with beaten eggs cooked in a frying pan without stirring, flipped over to cook on both sides, and sometimes filled or topped with cheese, chives or other foodstuffs.
- otology (noun): The branch of medicine that deals with the ear, its structure, function and pathology.
- teleology (noun): The study of the purpose or design of natural occurrences.
- tell (verb): To count, reckon, or enumerate.
- toggle (noun): A wooden or metal pin, short rod, crosspiece or similar, fixed transversely in the eye of a rope or chain to be secured to any other loop, ring, or bight, e.g. a sea painter to a lifeboat.
- 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.
- yell (verb): shout; holler; make a loud sound with the voice.