NYT Spelling Bee Answers for March 20, 2024

Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for March 20, 2024

Game Summary

Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for March 20, 2024
Center LetterF
Outer Lettersa, c, i, l, n, u
# of Pangrams1 (Perfect: none)
Total Words25 words
Total Points114 points
Genius Level80 points
Bingo?No

Table of Contents

As you scroll down this page, the clues get progressively more revealing. So scroll slowly!

  1. Spelling Bee Grid
  2. Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
  3. Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
  4. Extra Letter Hints (Incrementally Revealing) 🤯
  5. Today's Complete Solution
  6. Answer Definitions

If you're just here for a list of NYT Spelling Bee answers, Jump down to the answers ↓ (Spoiler Alert!).

Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for March 20, 2024

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>9Σ
A---1--1
C21----3
F64511118
I--1---1
L-------
N1-----1
U--1---1
Σ95721125

Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints

The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.

A
AL×1
C
CA×1
CL×1
CU×1
F
FA×8
FI×5
FL×3
FU×2
I
IN×1
L
N
NA×1
U
UN×1

Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints

The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.

A
ALF×1
C
CAL×1
CLI×1
CUF×1
F
FAC×1
FAI×1
FAL×1
FAN×2
FAU×3
FIL×2
FIN×3
FLA×2
FLU×1
FUL×2
I
INF×1
L
N
NAI×1
U
UNC×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 ().

Word2L RefDefinition (click to reveal)
fa...... FA8Imaginative or fantastic.
al.....AL7A plant, principally of Medicago sativa, grown as a pasture crop.
ca..CA4A young cow or bull.
cl...CL5A vertical (or nearly vertical) rock face.
cu..CU4glove; mitten
fa....FA6Of or affecting the face.
fa..FA4To be unsuccessful.
fa..FA4To be moved downwards. To move to a lower position under the effect of gravity.
fa....FA6fan fiction
fa..FA4A woodland creature with pointed ears, legs, and short horns of a goat and a fondness for unrestrained revelry.
fa...FA5Animals considered as a group; especially those of a particular country, region, time.
fa....FA6Pertaining to animals.
fi....FI6Pertaining to or befitting a son or daughter.
fi..FI4To occupy fully, to take up all of.
fi...FI5A final examination; a test or examination given at the end of a term or class; the test that concludes a class.
fi.......FI9Related to finances.
fi....FI6The knot or bunch of foliage, or foliated ornament, that forms the upper extremity of a pinnacle in Gothic architecture.
fl...FL5A tool used for threshing, consisting of a long handle with a shorter stick attached with a short piece of chain, thong or similar material.
fl..FL4Baked tart with sweet or savoury filling in an open-topped pastry case.
fl...FL5Anything light, soft or fuzzy, especially fur, hair, feathers.
fu.....FU7To satisfy, carry out, bring to completion (an obligation, a requirement, etc.).
fu..FU4Containing the maximum possible amount that can fit in the space available.
in....IN6To fill in a space, hole or gap.
na..NA4Alternative spelling of naïf.
un....UN6To remove cuffs from (someone)

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.

  • fanciful  (FA8)
  • alfalfa  (AL7)
  • calf  (CA4)
  • cliff  (CL5)
  • cuff  (CU4)
  • facial  (FA6)
  • fail  (FA4)
  • fall  (FA4)
  • fanfic  (FA6)
  • faun  (FA4)
  • fauna  (FA5)
  • faunal  (FA6)
  • filial  (FI6)
  • fill  (FI4)
  • final  (FI5)
  • financial  (FI9)
  • finial  (FI6)
  • flail  (FL5)
  • flan  (FL4)
  • fluff  (FL5)
  • fulfill  (FU7)
  • full  (FU4)
  • infill  (IN6)
  • naif  (NA4)
  • uncuff  (UN6)

Answer Definitions

  • fanciful (adjective): Imaginative or fantastic.
  • alfalfa (noun): A plant, principally of Medicago sativa, grown as a pasture crop.
  • calf (noun): A young cow or bull.
  • cliff (noun): A vertical (or nearly vertical) rock face.
  • cuff (noun): glove; mitten
  • facial (adjective): Of or affecting the face.
  • fail (verb): To be unsuccessful.
  • fall (verb): To be moved downwards. To move to a lower position under the effect of gravity.
  • fanfic (noun): fan fiction
  • faun (noun): A woodland creature with pointed ears, legs, and short horns of a goat and a fondness for unrestrained revelry.
  • fauna (noun): Animals considered as a group; especially those of a particular country, region, time.
  • faunal (adjective): Pertaining to animals.
  • filial (adjective): Pertaining to or befitting a son or daughter.
  • fill (verb): To occupy fully, to take up all of.
  • final (noun): A final examination; a test or examination given at the end of a term or class; the test that concludes a class.
  • financial (adjective): Related to finances.
  • finial (noun): The knot or bunch of foliage, or foliated ornament, that forms the upper extremity of a pinnacle in Gothic architecture.
  • flail (noun): A tool used for threshing, consisting of a long handle with a shorter stick attached with a short piece of chain, thong or similar material.
  • flan (noun): Baked tart with sweet or savoury filling in an open-topped pastry case.
  • fluff (noun): Anything light, soft or fuzzy, especially fur, hair, feathers.
  • fulfill (verb): To satisfy, carry out, bring to completion (an obligation, a requirement, etc.).
  • full (adjective): Containing the maximum possible amount that can fit in the space available.
  • infill (verb): To fill in a space, hole or gap.
  • naif (adjective): Alternative spelling of naïf.
  • uncuff (verb): To remove cuffs from (someone)