NYT Spelling Bee Answers for December 28, 2023
Game Summary
| Center Letter | A |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | e, g, l, u, v, y |
| # of Pangrams | 1 (Perfect: 1) |
| Total Words | 51 words |
| Total Points | 218 points |
| Genius Level | 153 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 | Σ | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 3 | 5 | 2 | - | - | 10 |
| E | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | 2 |
| G | 6 | 5 | 3 | - | - | 14 |
| L | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 11 |
| U | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | - | 3 |
| V | 2 | 5 | 3 | 1 | - | 11 |
| Y | - | - | - | - | - | - | Σ | 16 | 20 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 51 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| A | AG×2 AL×8 |
|---|---|
| E | EA×2 |
| G | GA×12 GU×2 |
| L | LA×5 LE×4 LU×2 |
| U | UV×3 |
| V | VA×7 VE×1 VU×3 |
| Y |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| A | AGA×1 AGU×1 ALG×3 ALL×5 |
|---|---|
| E | EAG×1 EAV×1 |
| G | GAG×3 GAL×4 GAU×1 GAV×3 GAY×1 GUA×1 GUL×1 |
| L | LAG×1 LAL×1 LAV×3 LEA×2 LEG×2 LUA×1 LUG×1 |
| U | UVE×1 UVU×2 |
| V | VAG×3 VAL×4 VEA×1 VUL×3 |
| Y |
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) |
|---|---|---|
| va..... † | VA7 | In a vague manner. |
| ag... | AG5 | A plant of the genus Agave, which includes the maguey or century plant (Agave americana), which produces a gigantic flower stem at maturity. |
| ag.. | AG4 | An acute fever. |
| al.. | AL4 | Any of many aquatic photosynthetic organisms, including the seaweeds, whose size ranges from a single cell to giant kelps and whose biochemistry and forms are very diverse, some being eukaryotic. |
| al... | AL5 | plural of alga |
| al... | AL5 | Pertaining to, or like, algae. |
| al... | AL5 | To make quiet or put at rest; to pacify or appease; to quell; to calm. |
| al.... | AL6 | To state under oath, to plead. |
| al.... | AL6 | One of a number of alternative forms of the same gene occupying a given position, or locus, on a chromosome. |
| al... | AL5 | A narrow street or passageway, especially one through the middle of a block giving access to the rear of lots or buildings. |
| al.. | AL4 | To unite or form a connection between (people or things), as between families by marriage, or between states by confederacy, league, or treaty. |
| ea... | EA5 | Any of several large carnivorous and carrion-eating birds in the family Accipitridae, having a powerful hooked bill and keen vision. |
| ea.. | EA4 | Alternative form of eaves (“the underside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building”) |
| ga.. | GA4 | Mentally senile. |
| ga.. | GA4 | To bind by pledge, or security; to engage. |
| ga.... | GA6 | A group of geese when they are on the ground or on the water. |
| ga.. | GA4 | Celebratory; festive. |
| ga.. | GA4 | To sing; charm; enchant. |
| ga.. | GA4 | Bile, especially that of an animal; the greenish, profoundly bitter-tasting fluid found in bile ducts and gall bladders, structures associated with the liver. |
| ga.... | GA6 | A long, slender ship propelled primarily by oars, whether having masts and sails or not; usually referring to rowed warships used in the Mediterranean from the 16th century until the modern era. |
| ga... | GA5 | A measure; a standard of measure; an instrument to determine dimensions, distance, or capacity; a standard |
| ga.... | GA6 | A process of force-feeding a goose for foie gras |
| ga.. | GA4 | simple past tense of give |
| ga... | GA5 | Rent. |
| ga... | GA5 | Cheerfully; in a gay manner. |
| gu... | GU5 | A tropical tree or shrub of the myrtle family, Psidium guajava. |
| gu... | GU5 | Also GULAG: the system of all Soviet labour camps and prisons in use, especially during the Stalinist period (1930s–1950s). |
| la... | LA5 | Having a delayed response to a change in the factors influencing it. |
| la...... | LA8 | Horseplay, fooling around. |
| la.. | LA4 | The molten rock ejected by a volcano from its crater or fissured sides. |
| la.... | LA6 | A washing. |
| la.. | LA4 | To pour or throw out, as water; lade out; bail; bail out. |
| le.... | LE6 | A group or association of cooperating members. |
| le... | LE5 | To have a consequence or remnant. To cause or allow (something) to remain as available; to refrain from taking (something) away; to stop short of consuming or otherwise depleting (something) entirely. |
| le... | LE5 | Relating to the law or to lawyers. |
| le..... | LE7 | As permitted by law; not contrary to law. |
| lu.. | LU4 | An elaborate Hawaiian feast featuring traditional foods and entertainment. |
| lu..... | LU7 | The bags and other containers that hold a traveller's belongings. |
| uv.. | UV4 | The middle of the three concentric layers that make up the eye; it is pigmented and vascular, and comprises the choroid, the ciliary body, and the iris. |
| uv... | UV5 | Ellipsis of palatine uvula.: the fleshy appendage that hangs from the back of the soft palate, that closes the nasopharynx during swallowing |
| uv.... | UV6 | plural of uvula |
| va... | VA5 | Of or relating to the vagus nerve. |
| va... | VA5 | Not clearly expressed; stated in indefinite terms. |
| va.. | VA4 | A valley. |
| va.... | VA6 | An elongated depression cast between hills or mountains, often garnished with a river flowing through it. |
| va... | VA5 | The quality (positive or negative) that renders something desirable or valuable. |
| va... | VA5 | A device that controls the flow of a gas or fluid through a pipe. |
| ve.. | VE4 | The flesh of a calf (i.e. a young bovine) used for food. |
| vu... | VU5 | The external female sexual organs, collectively. |
| vu.... | VU6 | plural of vulva |
| vu.... | VU6 | Pertaining to the vulva. |
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.
- vaguely† (VA7)
- agave (AG5)
- ague (AG4)
- alga (AL4)
- algae (AL5)
- algal (AL5)
- allay (AL5)
- allege (AL6)
- allele (AL6)
- alley (AL5)
- ally (AL4)
- eagle (EA5)
- eave (EA4)
- gaga (GA4)
- gage (GA4)
- gaggle (GA6)
- gala (GA4)
- gale (GA4)
- gall (GA4)
- galley (GA6)
- gauge (GA5)
- gavage (GA6)
- gave (GA4)
- gavel (GA5)
- gayly (GA5)
- guava (GU5)
- gulag (GU5)
- laggy (LA5)
- lallygag (LA8)
- lava (LA4)
- lavage (LA6)
- lave (LA4)
- league (LE6)
- leave (LE5)
- legal (LE5)
- legally (LE7)
- luau (LU4)
- luggage (LU7)
- uvea (UV4)
- uvula (UV5)
- uvulae (UV6)
- vagal (VA5)
- vague (VA5)
- vale (VA4)
- valley (VA6)
- value (VA5)
- valve (VA5)
- veal (VE4)
- vulva (VU5)
- vulvae (VU6)
- vulval (VU6)
Answer Definitions
- vaguely† (adverb): In a vague manner.
- agave (noun): A plant of the genus Agave, which includes the maguey or century plant (Agave americana), which produces a gigantic flower stem at maturity.
- ague (noun): An acute fever.
- alga (noun): Any of many aquatic photosynthetic organisms, including the seaweeds, whose size ranges from a single cell to giant kelps and whose biochemistry and forms are very diverse, some being eukaryotic.
- algae (noun): plural of alga
- algal (adjective): Pertaining to, or like, algae.
- allay (verb): To make quiet or put at rest; to pacify or appease; to quell; to calm.
- allege (verb): To state under oath, to plead.
- allele (noun): One of a number of alternative forms of the same gene occupying a given position, or locus, on a chromosome.
- alley (noun): A narrow street or passageway, especially one through the middle of a block giving access to the rear of lots or buildings.
- ally (verb): To unite or form a connection between (people or things), as between families by marriage, or between states by confederacy, league, or treaty.
- eagle (noun): Any of several large carnivorous and carrion-eating birds in the family Accipitridae, having a powerful hooked bill and keen vision.
- eave (noun): Alternative form of eaves (“the underside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building”)
- gaga (adjective): Mentally senile.
- gage (verb): To bind by pledge, or security; to engage.
- gaggle (noun): A group of geese when they are on the ground or on the water.
- gala (adjective): Celebratory; festive.
- gale (verb): To sing; charm; enchant.
- gall (noun): Bile, especially that of an animal; the greenish, profoundly bitter-tasting fluid found in bile ducts and gall bladders, structures associated with the liver.
- galley (noun): A long, slender ship propelled primarily by oars, whether having masts and sails or not; usually referring to rowed warships used in the Mediterranean from the 16th century until the modern era.
- gauge (noun): A measure; a standard of measure; an instrument to determine dimensions, distance, or capacity; a standard
- gavage (noun): A process of force-feeding a goose for foie gras
- gave (verb): simple past tense of give
- gavel (noun): Rent.
- gayly (adverb): Cheerfully; in a gay manner.
- guava (noun): A tropical tree or shrub of the myrtle family, Psidium guajava.
- gulag (noun): Also GULAG: the system of all Soviet labour camps and prisons in use, especially during the Stalinist period (1930s–1950s).
- laggy (adjective): Having a delayed response to a change in the factors influencing it.
- lallygag (noun): Horseplay, fooling around.
- lava (noun): The molten rock ejected by a volcano from its crater or fissured sides.
- lavage (noun): A washing.
- lave (verb): To pour or throw out, as water; lade out; bail; bail out.
- league (noun): A group or association of cooperating members.
- leave (verb): To have a consequence or remnant. To cause or allow (something) to remain as available; to refrain from taking (something) away; to stop short of consuming or otherwise depleting (something) entirely.
- legal (adjective): Relating to the law or to lawyers.
- legally (adverb): As permitted by law; not contrary to law.
- luau (noun): An elaborate Hawaiian feast featuring traditional foods and entertainment.
- luggage (noun): The bags and other containers that hold a traveller's belongings.
- uvea (noun): The middle of the three concentric layers that make up the eye; it is pigmented and vascular, and comprises the choroid, the ciliary body, and the iris.
- uvula (noun): Ellipsis of palatine uvula.: the fleshy appendage that hangs from the back of the soft palate, that closes the nasopharynx during swallowing
- uvulae (noun): plural of uvula
- vagal (adjective): Of or relating to the vagus nerve.
- vague (adjective): Not clearly expressed; stated in indefinite terms.
- vale (noun): A valley.
- valley (noun): An elongated depression cast between hills or mountains, often garnished with a river flowing through it.
- value (noun): The quality (positive or negative) that renders something desirable or valuable.
- valve (noun): A device that controls the flow of a gas or fluid through a pipe.
- veal (noun): The flesh of a calf (i.e. a young bovine) used for food.
- vulva (noun): The external female sexual organs, collectively.
- vulvae (noun): plural of vulva
- vulval (adjective): Pertaining to the vulva.