Game Summary

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 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.

Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints

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

Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints

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

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 (^†).

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.

• portrayal^†  (PO9)
• allay  (AL5)
• allot  (AL5)
• alloy  (AL5)
• ally  (AL4)
• altar  (AL5)
• alto  (AL4)
• aortal  (AO6)
• appall  (AP6)
• apply  (AP5)
• aptly  (AP5)
• atoll  (AT5)
• laptop  (LA6)
• loll  (LO4)
• lollop  (LO6)
• loop  (LO4)
• loopy  (LO5)
• loot  (LO4)
• lorry  (LO5)
• lotto  (LO5)
• loyal  (LO5)
• loyally  (LO7)
• loyalty  (LO7)
• opal  (OP4)
• oral  (OR4)
• orally  (OR6)
• palapa  (PA6)
• palatal  (PA7)
• pall  (PA4)
• pallor  (PA6)
• palp  (PA4)
• paltry  (PA6)
• papal  (PA5)
• papally  (PA7)
• parlay  (PA6)
• parlor  (PA6)
• parol  (PA5)
• partly  (PA6)
• patly  (PA5)
• patrol  (PA6)
• payola  (PA6)
• payroll  (PA7)
• plat  (PL4)
• play  (PL4)
• plop  (PL4)
• plot  (PL4)
• ploy  (PL4)
• polar  (PO5)
• poll  (PO4)
• polo  (PO4)
• polyp  (PO5)
• pool  (PO4)
• poorly  (PO6)
• poplar  (PO6)
• portal  (PO6)
• portly  (PO6)
• rally  (RA5)
• raptly  (RA6)
• rattly  (RA6)
• roll  (RO4)
• rolltop  (RO7)
• royal  (RO5)
• royally  (RO7)
• royalty  (RO7)
• tall  (TA4)
• tally  (TA5)
• tartly  (TA6)
• toll  (TO4)
• tool  (TO4)
• total  (TO5)
• totally  (TO7)
• troll  (TR5)
• trollop  (TR7)

Answer Definitions

• portrayal^† (noun): The act of portraying.
• allay (verb): To make quiet or put at rest; to pacify or appease; to quell; to calm.
• allot (verb): To distribute or apportion by (or as if by) lot.
• alloy (noun): A metal that is a combination of two or more elements, at least one of which is a metal.
• 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.
• altar (noun): A table or similar flat-topped structure used for religious rites.
• alto (noun): A musical part or section higher than tenor and lower than soprano, formerly the part that performed a countermelody above the tenor or main melody.
• aortal (adjective): Of or relating to the aorta.
• appall (verb): To fill with horror; to dismay.
• apply (verb): To lay or place; to put (one thing to another)
• aptly (adverb): In an apt or suitable manner; fittingly; appropriately; suitably
• atoll (noun): a type of island consisting of a ribbon reef that nearly or entirely surrounds a lagoon and supports, in most cases, one to many islets on the reef platform. Atolls have a unique geology, so not all islands with a reef and a lagoon are atolls
• laptop (noun): A laptop computer.
• 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.
• loot (noun): A scoop used to remove scum from brine pans in saltworks.
• lorry (noun): A heavier motor vehicle designed to carry goods or to pull a semi-trailer designed to carry goods
• lotto (noun): a game of chance similar to bingo
• loyal (adjective): Having or demonstrating undivided and constant support for someone or something.
• loyally (adverb): In a loyal manner, faithfully.
• loyalty (noun): The state of being loyal; fidelity.
• opal (noun): A mineral consisting, like quartz, of silica, but inferior to quartz in hardness and specific gravity, of the chemical formula SiO2·nH2O. A precious gem, an iridescent gemstone found in the opal-silica mineral substrate (potch)
• oral (adjective): Relating to the mouth.
• orally (adverb): By mouth.
• palapa (noun): An open-sided dwelling with a thatched roof made of dried palm leaves.
• palatal (adjective): Pertaining to the palate.
• pall (noun): Senses relating to cloth. Fine cloth, especially purple cloth used for robes. A heavy cloth laid over a coffin or tomb; a shroud laid over a corpse. A piece of cardboard, covered with linen and embroidered on one side, used to cover the chalice during the Eucharist. A cloth used for various purposes on the altar in a church, such as a corporal (“cloth on which elements of the Eucharist are placed”) or frontal (“drapery covering the front of an altar”).
• pallor (noun): Paleness; want of color; pallidity; wanness.
• palp (noun): Synonym of pedipalp.
• paltry (adjective): Trashy, trivial, of little value.
• papal (adjective): Having to do with the pope or the papacy.
• papally (adverb): in papal fashion
• parlay (verb): To carry forward the stake and winnings from a bet on to a subsequent wager or series of wagers.
• parlor (noun): The living room of a house, or a room for entertaining guests; a room for talking; a sitting-room or drawing room
• parol (adjective): Word of mouth.
• partly (adverb): In part, or to some degree, but not completely.
• patly (adverb): In a pat manner; fitly, seasonably, conveniently, appositely.
• patrol (noun): A going of the rounds along the chain of sentinels and between the posts, by a guard, usually consisting of three or four men, to insure greater security from attacks on the outposts.
• payola (noun): A bribe given in exchange for a favor, such as one given in exchange for the promotion of goods or services (originally one given to a disk jockey to play a record).
• payroll (noun): A list of employees who receive salary or wages, together with the amounts due to each.
• plat (noun): A plot of land; a lot.
• play (verb): To act in a manner such that one has fun; to engage in activities expressly for the purpose of recreation or entertainment.
• plop (noun): A sound or action like liquid hitting a hard surface, or an object falling into a body of water.
• plot (noun): The course of a story, comprising a series of incidents which are gradually unfolded, sometimes by unexpected means.
• ploy (noun): A tactic, strategy, or scheme.
• polar (adjective): Of or having a pole or polarity.
• 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.
• 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.
• poorly (adverb): In a poor manner or condition; without plenty, or sufficiency, or suitable provision for comfort.
• poplar (noun): Any of various deciduous trees of the genus Populus.
• portal (noun): An entrance, entry point, or means of entry.
• portly (adjective): Somewhat fat, pudgy, overweight.
• rally (noun): A public gathering or mass meeting that is not mainly a protest and is organized to inspire enthusiasm for a cause.
• raptly (adverb): in a rapt manner
• rattly (adjective): That rattles.
• 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.
• rolltop (adjective): Alternative spelling of roll-top
• royal (adjective): Of or relating to a monarch or their family.
• royally (adverb): In a royal manner; in a manner having to do with royalty.
• royalty (noun): The rank, status, power or authority of a monarch.
• tall (adjective): Having a vertical extent greater than the average. For example, somebody with a height of over 6 feet would generally be considered to be tall.
• tally (interjection): Target sighted.
• tartly (adverb): In a tart manner; sourly or bitterly.
• toll (noun): Loss or damage incurred through a disaster.
• tool (noun): A mechanical device intended to make a task easier.
• total (noun): An amount obtained by the addition of smaller amounts.
• totally (adverb): To the fullest extent or degree.
• troll (noun): A supernatural being of varying size, now especially a grotesque humanoid creature living in caves or hills or under bridges.
• trollop (noun): A woman of a vulgar and discourteous disposition.