NYT Spelling Bee Answers for December 20, 2023
Game Summary
| Center Letter | E |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | a, b, c, k, l, o |
| # of Pangrams | 3 (Perfect: none) |
| Total Words | 44 words |
| Total Points | 192 points |
| Genius Level | 134 points |
| Bingo? | No |
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 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 2 | - | 1 | - | - | 1 | 4 |
| B | 6 | 5 | 2 | - | 1 | 1 | 15 |
| C | 3 | 3 | 3 | - | 2 | 1 | 12 |
| E | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| K | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 3 |
| L | 5 | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | - | 8 |
| O | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | Σ | 20 | 10 | 7 | - | 4 | 3 | 44 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| A | AB×1 AL×3 |
|---|---|
| B | BA×5 BE×4 BL×3 BO×3 |
| C | CA×4 CE×4 CO×4 |
| E | |
| K | KA×1 KE×2 |
| L | LA×3 LE×2 LO×3 |
| O | OB×1 OL×1 |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| A | ABL×1 ALL×2 ALO×1 |
|---|---|
| B | BAB×3 BAK×1 BAL×1 BEA×1 BEC×1 BEL×2 BLE×1 BLO×2 BOB×1 BOC×1 BOO×1 |
| C | CAB×1 CAC×1 CAK×1 CAL×1 CEL×4 COB×1 COC×1 COK×1 COO×1 |
| E | |
| K | KAL×1 KEB×1 KEE×1 |
| L | LAB×1 LAC×1 LAK×1 LEA×1 LEE×1 LOB×1 LOC×2 |
| O | OBO×1 OLE×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) |
|---|---|---|
| bl....... † | BL9 | Able to be blocked. |
| co...... † | CO8 | That can be cooked; suitable for cooking. |
| lo...... † | LO8 | Capable of being locked. |
| ab.. | AB4 | Having the necessary powers or the needed resources to accomplish a task. |
| al.... | AL6 | One of a number of alternative forms of the same gene occupying a given position, or locus, on a chromosome. |
| al....... | AL9 | Able to be allocated. |
| al.. | AL4 | The resins of the tree Aquilaria malaccensis (syn. Aquilaria agallocha), known for their fragrant aroma, produced after infection by the fungus Phialophora parasitica. |
| ba.... | BA6 | To utter words indistinctly or unintelligibly; to utter inarticulate sounds |
| ba.. | BA4 | A baby or infant; a very young human or animal. |
| ba... | BA5 | Alternative form of Babel |
| ba.. | BA4 | To cook (something) in an oven (for someone). |
| ba.. | BA4 | Evil, especially considered as an active force for destruction or death. |
| be.. | BE4 | Anatomical uses. A rigid structure projecting from the front of a bird's face, used for pecking, grooming, foraging, carrying items, eating food, etc. A similar structure forming the jaws of an octopus, turtle, etc. The long projecting sucking mouth of some insects and other invertebrates, as in the Hemiptera. The upper or projecting part of the shell, near the hinge of a bivalve. The prolongation of certain univalve shells containing the canal. Any process somewhat like the beak of a bird, terminating the fruit or other parts of a plant. |
| be.. | BE4 | A stream or small river. |
| be.. | BE4 | A percussive instrument made of metal or other hard material, typically but not always in the shape of an inverted cup with a flared rim, which resonates when struck. |
| be... | BE5 | An attractive woman. |
| bl... | BL5 | Without color; pale; pallid. |
| bl... | BL5 | An exemplar of a certain masculine, independent male archetype. |
| bo.... | BO6 | A furry ball attached on top of a hat. |
| bo... | BO5 | A game, similar to bowls or pétanque, played on a long, narrow, dirt-covered court |
| bo...... | BO8 | Able to be booked or reserved. |
| ca... | CA5 | A long object used to make a physical connection. A strong, large-diameter wire or rope, or something resembling such a rope. An assembly of two or more cable-laid ropes. An assembly of two or more wires, used for electrical power or data circuits; one or more and/or the whole may be insulated. A strong rope or chain used to moor or anchor a ship. |
| ca.... | CA6 | The cry of a hen or goose, especially when laying an egg. |
| ca.. | CA4 | A rich, sweet dessert food, typically made of flour, sugar, and eggs and baked in an oven, and often covered in icing. |
| ca...... | CA8 | That can be called. |
| ce... | CE5 | A celebrity; a famous person. |
| ce.. | CE4 | A single-room dwelling for a hermit. |
| ce....... | CE9 | A wing of a prison containing cells for the inmates. |
| ce... | CE5 | A large unfretted stringed instrument of the violin family with four strings tuned (lowest to highest) C-G-D-A and an endpin to support its weight, usually played with a bow. |
| co.... | CO6 | A cobblestone. |
| co.... | CO6 | Any of various edible European bivalve mollusks, of the family Cardiidae, having heart-shaped shells. |
| co.. | CO4 | Solid residue from roasting coal in a coke oven; used principally as a fuel and in the production of steel and formerly as a domestic fuel. |
| ka.. | KA4 | An edible plant, similar to cabbage, with curled leaves that do not form a dense head (Brassica oleracea var. acephala) |
| ke... | KE5 | A dish of pieces of meat, fish, or vegetables roasted on a skewer or spit, especially a doner kebab. |
| ke.. | KE4 | A large beam along the underside of a ship’s hull from bow to stern. |
| la... | LA5 | A small ticket or sign giving information about something to which it is attached or intended to be attached. |
| la.. | LA4 | A light fabric containing patterns of holes, usually built up from a single thread. |
| la.. | LA4 | A large, landlocked stretch of water or similar liquid. |
| le.. | LE4 | A crack, crevice, fissure, or hole which admits water or other fluid, or lets it escape. |
| le.. | LE4 | The vegetable Allium ampeloprasum var. porrum, having edible leaves and an onion-like bulb but with a milder flavour than the onion. |
| lo.. | LO4 | Any projection or division, especially one of a somewhat rounded form. |
| lo.... | LO6 | The place where something happens. |
| ob.. | OB4 | A soprano and melody wind instrument in the modern orchestra and wind ensemble. It is a smaller instrument and generally made of grenadilla wood. It is a member of the double reed family. |
| 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. |
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.
- blockable† (BL9)
- cookable† (CO8)
- lockable† (LO8)
- able (AB4)
- allele (AL6)
- allocable (AL9)
- aloe (AL4)
- babble (BA6)
- babe (BA4)
- babel (BA5)
- bake (BA4)
- bale (BA4)
- beak (BE4)
- beck (BE4)
- bell (BE4)
- belle (BE5)
- bleak (BL5)
- bloke (BL5)
- bobble (BO6)
- bocce (BO5)
- bookable (BO8)
- cable (CA5)
- cackle (CA6)
- cake (CA4)
- callable (CA8)
- celeb (CE5)
- cell (CE4)
- cellblock (CE9)
- cello (CE5)
- cobble (CO6)
- cockle (CO6)
- coke (CO4)
- kale (KA4)
- kebab (KE5)
- keel (KE4)
- label (LA5)
- lace (LA4)
- lake (LA4)
- leak (LE4)
- leek (LE4)
- lobe (LO4)
- locale (LO6)
- oboe (OB4)
- oleo (OL4)
Answer Definitions
- blockable† (adjective): Able to be blocked.
- cookable† (adjective): That can be cooked; suitable for cooking.
- lockable† (adjective): Capable of being locked.
- able (adjective): Having the necessary powers or the needed resources to accomplish a task.
- allele (noun): One of a number of alternative forms of the same gene occupying a given position, or locus, on a chromosome.
- allocable (adjective): Able to be allocated.
- aloe (noun): The resins of the tree Aquilaria malaccensis (syn. Aquilaria agallocha), known for their fragrant aroma, produced after infection by the fungus Phialophora parasitica.
- babble (verb): To utter words indistinctly or unintelligibly; to utter inarticulate sounds
- babe (noun): A baby or infant; a very young human or animal.
- babel (noun): Alternative form of Babel
- bake (verb): To cook (something) in an oven (for someone).
- bale (noun): Evil, especially considered as an active force for destruction or death.
- beak (noun): Anatomical uses. A rigid structure projecting from the front of a bird's face, used for pecking, grooming, foraging, carrying items, eating food, etc. A similar structure forming the jaws of an octopus, turtle, etc. The long projecting sucking mouth of some insects and other invertebrates, as in the Hemiptera. The upper or projecting part of the shell, near the hinge of a bivalve. The prolongation of certain univalve shells containing the canal. Any process somewhat like the beak of a bird, terminating the fruit or other parts of a plant.
- beck (noun): A stream or small river.
- bell (noun): A percussive instrument made of metal or other hard material, typically but not always in the shape of an inverted cup with a flared rim, which resonates when struck.
- belle (noun): An attractive woman.
- bleak (adjective): Without color; pale; pallid.
- bloke (noun): An exemplar of a certain masculine, independent male archetype.
- bobble (noun): A furry ball attached on top of a hat.
- bocce (noun): A game, similar to bowls or pétanque, played on a long, narrow, dirt-covered court
- bookable (adjective): Able to be booked or reserved.
- cable (noun): A long object used to make a physical connection. A strong, large-diameter wire or rope, or something resembling such a rope. An assembly of two or more cable-laid ropes. An assembly of two or more wires, used for electrical power or data circuits; one or more and/or the whole may be insulated. A strong rope or chain used to moor or anchor a ship.
- cackle (noun): The cry of a hen or goose, especially when laying an egg.
- cake (noun): A rich, sweet dessert food, typically made of flour, sugar, and eggs and baked in an oven, and often covered in icing.
- callable (adjective): That can be called.
- celeb (noun): A celebrity; a famous person.
- cell (noun): A single-room dwelling for a hermit.
- cellblock (noun): A wing of a prison containing cells for the inmates.
- cello (noun): A large unfretted stringed instrument of the violin family with four strings tuned (lowest to highest) C-G-D-A and an endpin to support its weight, usually played with a bow.
- cobble (noun): A cobblestone.
- cockle (noun): Any of various edible European bivalve mollusks, of the family Cardiidae, having heart-shaped shells.
- coke (noun): Solid residue from roasting coal in a coke oven; used principally as a fuel and in the production of steel and formerly as a domestic fuel.
- kale (noun): An edible plant, similar to cabbage, with curled leaves that do not form a dense head (Brassica oleracea var. acephala)
- kebab (noun): A dish of pieces of meat, fish, or vegetables roasted on a skewer or spit, especially a doner kebab.
- keel (noun): A large beam along the underside of a ship’s hull from bow to stern.
- label (noun): A small ticket or sign giving information about something to which it is attached or intended to be attached.
- lace (noun): A light fabric containing patterns of holes, usually built up from a single thread.
- lake (noun): A large, landlocked stretch of water or similar liquid.
- leak (noun): A crack, crevice, fissure, or hole which admits water or other fluid, or lets it escape.
- leek (noun): The vegetable Allium ampeloprasum var. porrum, having edible leaves and an onion-like bulb but with a milder flavour than the onion.
- lobe (noun): Any projection or division, especially one of a somewhat rounded form.
- locale (noun): The place where something happens.
- oboe (noun): A soprano and melody wind instrument in the modern orchestra and wind ensemble. It is a smaller instrument and generally made of grenadilla wood. It is a member of the double reed family.
- 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.