NYT Spelling Bee Answers for December 23, 2023
Game Summary
| Center Letter | O |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | p, r, y, c, h, l |
| # of Pangrams | 1 (Perfect: none) |
| Total Words | 48 words |
| Total Points | 149 points |
| Genius Level | 104 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</th><th>10</th><th>11 | Σ | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | 9 | 2 | 2 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 14 |
| H | 3 | 3 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 7 |
| L | 4 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 7 |
| O | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| P | 10 | 4 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | 16 |
| R | 2 | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 3 |
| Y | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | Σ | 28 | 11 | 8 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 48 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| C | CH×3 CL×2 CO×7 CR×2 |
|---|---|
| H | HO×6 HY×1 |
| L | LO×7 |
| O | |
| P | PH×1 PL×2 PO×11 PR×1 PY×1 |
| R | RO×3 |
| Y | YO×1 |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| C | CHL×1 CHO×2 CLO×2 COH×1 COL×1 COO×3 COP×1 COY×1 CRO×2 |
|---|---|
| H | HOL×2 HOO×2 HOP×1 HOR×1 HYP×1 |
| L | LOC×2 LOL×2 LOO×2 LOR×1 |
| O | |
| P | PHY×1 PLO×2 POL×3 POO×6 POP×1 POR×1 PRO×1 PYR×1 |
| R | ROC×1 ROL×1 ROP×1 |
| Y | YOO×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) |
|---|---|---|
| ch......... † | CH11 | Any of a group of green pigments that are found in the chloroplasts of plants and in other photosynthetic organisms such as cyanobacteria. |
| ch.. | CH4 | A cut of meat, often containing a section of a rib. |
| ch.... | CH6 | Having many small, rough waves. |
| cl.. | CL4 | The sound of a horse's shod hoof striking the ground. |
| cl.. | CL4 | To fill up or choke up; to stop up. |
| co.. | CO4 | An anadromus and semelparous salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch, found in the coastal regions of the northern Pacific Ocean, used as a symbol by several Native American tribes. |
| co... | CO5 | The spectral composition of visible light. |
| co.. | CO4 | Having a slightly low temperature; mildly or pleasantly cold. |
| co.... | CO6 | In a cool, unpanicked or collected manner. |
| co.. | CO4 | A basket, pen or enclosure for birds or small animals. |
| co.. | CO4 | The result of copying; an identical duplicate of an original. |
| co... | CO5 | In a coy manner. |
| cr.. | CR4 | A crocodile. |
| cr.. | CR4 | A plant, especially a cereal, grown to be harvested as food, livestock fodder, or fuel or for any other economic purpose. |
| ho... | HO5 | Any of various shrubs or (mostly) small trees, of the genus Ilex, either evergreen or deciduous, used as decoration especially at Christmas. |
| ho.. | HO4 | Dedicated to a religious purpose or a god. |
| ho... | HO5 | Alcoholic liquor, especially inferior or illicit whisky. |
| ho.. | HO4 | A circular band of metal used to bind a barrel. |
| ho... | HO5 | Having a taste of hops; heavily flavoured with hops. |
| ho.... | HO6 | An intense distressing emotion of fear or repugnance. |
| hy.. | HY4 | Melancholy; a fit of hypochondria; a morbid depression. |
| lo.. | LO4 | A lake. |
| lo.. | LO4 | A direction in written or printed music to be returning to the proper pitch after having played an octave higher or lower. |
| 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 | A length of thread, line or rope that is doubled over to make an opening. |
| lo... | LO5 | Having loops. |
| lo... | LO5 | A heavier motor vehicle designed to carry goods or to pull a semi-trailer designed to carry goods |
| ph.... | PH6 | A type of dough, originating in Mediterranean cuisine, that is used in thin layers to make pastries (such as baklava and apple strudel) and pies and becomes very flaky when cooked. |
| pl.. | PL4 | A sound or action like liquid hitting a hard surface, or an object falling into a body of water. |
| pl.. | PL4 | A tactic, strategy, or scheme. |
| po.. | PO4 | A survey of people, usually statistically analyzed to gauge wider public opinion. |
| 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... | PO5 | A dog. |
| po.. | PO4 | Expressing dismissal, contempt, impatience, etc. |
| 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. |
| po.. | PO4 | To make a short blast on a horn. |
| po.. | PO4 | With no or few possessions or money, particularly in relation to contemporaries who do have them. |
| po.... | PO6 | In a poor manner or condition; without plenty, or sufficiency, or suitable provision for comfort. |
| po... | PO5 | Any plant of the genus Papaver or the family Papaveraceae, with crumpled, often red, petals and a milky juice having narcotic properties; especially the common poppy or corn poppy (Papaver rhoeas) which has orange-red flowers; the flower of such a plant. |
| po... | PO5 | A covered entrance to a building, whether taken from the interior, and forming a sort of vestibule within the main wall, or projecting without and with a separate roof. A porch often has chair(s), table(s) and swings. |
| pr.. | PR4 | An object placed against or under another, to support it; anything that supports. |
| py.. | PY4 | A pyromaniac. |
| ro.... | RO6 | A style of baroque architecture and decorative art, from 18th-century France, having elaborate ornamentation. |
| ro.. | RO4 | To cause to revolve by turning over and over; to move by turning on an axis; to impel forward by causing to turn over and over on a supporting surface. |
| ro.. | RO4 | Resembling rope in appearance or texture, used especially of muscles that are thick or hard to the touch. |
| yo.... | YO6 | Used to get attention. |
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.
- chlorophyll† (CH11)
- chop (CH4)
- choppy (CH6)
- clop (CL4)
- cloy (CL4)
- coho (CO4)
- color (CO5)
- cool (CO4)
- coolly (CO6)
- coop (CO4)
- copy (CO4)
- coyly (CO5)
- croc (CR4)
- crop (CR4)
- holly (HO5)
- holy (HO4)
- hooch (HO5)
- hoop (HO4)
- hoppy (HO5)
- horror (HO6)
- hypo (HY4)
- loch (LO4)
- loco (LO4)
- loll (LO4)
- lollop (LO6)
- loop (LO4)
- loopy (LO5)
- lorry (LO5)
- phyllo (PH6)
- plop (PL4)
- ploy (PL4)
- poll (PO4)
- polo (PO4)
- polyp (PO5)
- pooch (PO5)
- pooh (PO4)
- pool (PO4)
- poop (PO4)
- poor (PO4)
- poorly (PO6)
- poppy (PO5)
- porch (PO5)
- prop (PR4)
- pyro (PY4)
- rococo (RO6)
- roll (RO4)
- ropy (RO4)
- yoohoo (YO6)
Answer Definitions
- chlorophyll† (noun): Any of a group of green pigments that are found in the chloroplasts of plants and in other photosynthetic organisms such as cyanobacteria.
- chop (noun): A cut of meat, often containing a section of a rib.
- choppy (adjective): Having many small, rough waves.
- clop (noun): The sound of a horse's shod hoof striking the ground.
- cloy (verb): To fill up or choke up; to stop up.
- coho (noun): An anadromus and semelparous salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch, found in the coastal regions of the northern Pacific Ocean, used as a symbol by several Native American tribes.
- color (noun): The spectral composition of visible light.
- cool (adjective): Having a slightly low temperature; mildly or pleasantly cold.
- coolly (adverb): In a cool, unpanicked or collected manner.
- coop (noun): A basket, pen or enclosure for birds or small animals.
- copy (noun): The result of copying; an identical duplicate of an original.
- coyly (adverb): In a coy manner.
- croc (noun): A crocodile.
- crop (noun): A plant, especially a cereal, grown to be harvested as food, livestock fodder, or fuel or for any other economic purpose.
- holly (noun): Any of various shrubs or (mostly) small trees, of the genus Ilex, either evergreen or deciduous, used as decoration especially at Christmas.
- holy (adjective): Dedicated to a religious purpose or a god.
- hooch (noun): Alcoholic liquor, especially inferior or illicit whisky.
- hoop (noun): A circular band of metal used to bind a barrel.
- hoppy (adjective): Having a taste of hops; heavily flavoured with hops.
- horror (noun): An intense distressing emotion of fear or repugnance.
- hypo (noun): Melancholy; a fit of hypochondria; a morbid depression.
- loch (noun): A lake.
- loco (adverb): A direction in written or printed music to be returning to the proper pitch after having played an octave higher or lower.
- 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.
- loop (noun): A length of thread, line or rope that is doubled over to make an opening.
- loopy (adjective): Having loops.
- lorry (noun): A heavier motor vehicle designed to carry goods or to pull a semi-trailer designed to carry goods
- phyllo (noun): A type of dough, originating in Mediterranean cuisine, that is used in thin layers to make pastries (such as baklava and apple strudel) and pies and becomes very flaky when cooked.
- plop (noun): A sound or action like liquid hitting a hard surface, or an object falling into a body of water.
- ploy (noun): A tactic, strategy, or scheme.
- poll (noun): A survey of people, usually statistically analyzed to gauge wider public opinion.
- 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.
- pooch (noun): A dog.
- pooh (interjection): Expressing dismissal, contempt, impatience, etc.
- 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.
- poop (verb): To make a short blast on a horn.
- poor (adjective): With no or few possessions or money, particularly in relation to contemporaries who do have them.
- poorly (adverb): In a poor manner or condition; without plenty, or sufficiency, or suitable provision for comfort.
- poppy (noun): Any plant of the genus Papaver or the family Papaveraceae, with crumpled, often red, petals and a milky juice having narcotic properties; especially the common poppy or corn poppy (Papaver rhoeas) which has orange-red flowers; the flower of such a plant.
- porch (noun): A covered entrance to a building, whether taken from the interior, and forming a sort of vestibule within the main wall, or projecting without and with a separate roof. A porch often has chair(s), table(s) and swings.
- prop (noun): An object placed against or under another, to support it; anything that supports.
- pyro (noun): A pyromaniac.
- rococo (noun): A style of baroque architecture and decorative art, from 18th-century France, having elaborate ornamentation.
- roll (verb): To cause to revolve by turning over and over; to move by turning on an axis; to impel forward by causing to turn over and over on a supporting surface.
- ropy (adjective): Resembling rope in appearance or texture, used especially of muscles that are thick or hard to the touch.
- yoohoo (interjection): Used to get attention.