NYT Spelling Bee Answers for December 25, 2024
Game Summary
| Center Letter | F |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | a, e, g, i, l, n |
| # of Pangrams | 2 (Perfect: 2) |
| Total Words | 57 words |
| Total Points | 291 points |
| Genius Level | 204 points |
| Bingo? | Yes |
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 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Σ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | 1 |
| E | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| F | 14 | 5 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 46 |
| G | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 2 |
| I | - | - | 1 | - | - | 1 | 2 |
| L | 2 | - | - | 1 | 1 | - | 4 |
| N | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | Σ | 18 | 7 | 11 | 12 | 7 | 2 | 57 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| A | AL×1 |
|---|---|
| E | EL×1 |
| F | FA×8 FE×9 FI×15 FL×14 |
| G | GA×2 |
| I | IN×2 |
| L | LE×2 LI×2 |
| N | NA×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 |
|---|---|
| E | ELF×1 |
| F | FAI×2 FAL×4 FAN×2 FEE×2 FEI×2 FEL×4 FEN×1 FIE×1 FIF×2 FIL×5 FIN×7 FLA×9 FLE×3 FLI×2 |
| G | GAF×2 |
| I | INF×2 |
| L | LEA×2 LIF×2 |
| N | NAI×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) |
|---|---|---|
| fi..... † | FI7 | To obtain, arrange, or achieve by indirect, complicated and/or intensive efforts. |
| le..... † | LE7 | present participle and gerund of leaf |
| al..... | AL7 | A plant, principally of Medicago sativa, grown as a pasture crop. |
| el... | EL5 | An elf; an inhabitant of fairy-land. |
| fa.. | FA4 | To be unsuccessful. |
| fa..... | FA7 | present participle of fail |
| fa..... | FA7 | A Middle Eastern food in the form of balls made from chickpeas or broad beans and other ingredients. Often served in a pita. |
| fa.. | FA4 | To be moved downwards. To move to a lower position under the effect of gravity. |
| fa.... | FA6 | past participle of fall |
| fa..... | FA7 | present participle of fall |
| fa.. | FA4 | a long, pointed canine tooth used for biting and tearing flesh |
| fa..... | FA7 | present participle of fan |
| fe.. | FE4 | To use or experience the sense of touch. To become aware of through the skin; to use the sense of touch on. |
| fe..... | FE7 | Emotionally sensitive. |
| fe... | FE5 | To make a false show or pretence of; to counterfeit or simulate. |
| fe...... | FE8 | present participle of feign |
| fe.... | FE6 | Of or pertaining to cats. |
| fe.. | FE4 | To make something fall; especially to chop down a tree. |
| fe... | FE5 | Pronunciation spelling of fellow. |
| fe..... | FE7 | present participle of fell |
| fe.... | FE6 | A plant, Foeniculum vulgare, of the parsley family, which has a sweet, anise-like flavor. |
| fi.. | FI4 | An estate held by a person on condition of providing military service to a superior. |
| fi.. | FI4 | A small shrill pipe, resembling the piccolo flute, used chiefly to accompany the drum in military music |
| fi.... | FI6 | present participle of fife |
| fi.. | FI4 | A collection of papers collated and archived together. |
| fi.... | FI6 | Pertaining to or befitting a son or daughter. |
| fi.... | FI6 | Any particle that has been removed by a file or similar implement; a shaving. |
| fi.. | FI4 | To occupy fully, to take up all of. |
| fi..... | FI7 | present participle of fill |
| fi....... | FI9 | present participle of finagle |
| fi... | FI5 | A final examination; a test or examination given at the end of a term or class; the test that concludes a class. |
| fi.... | FI6 | The grand end of something, especially a show or piece of music. |
| fi.. | FI4 | Senses referring to subjective quality. Of superior quality. |
| fi.... | FI6 | The knot or bunch of foliage, or foliated ornament, that forms the upper extremity of a pinnacle in Gothic architecture. |
| fi.... | FI6 | present participle of fine |
| fl.. | FL4 | A piece of cloth, often decorated with an emblem, used as a visual signal or symbol. |
| fl...... | FL8 | plural of flagellum |
| fl...... | FL8 | present participle of flag |
| fl... | FL5 | 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. |
| fl...... | FL8 | present participle of flail |
| fl.. | FL4 | Baked tart with sweet or savoury filling in an open-topped pastry case. |
| fl.... | FL6 | An external or internal rib or rim, used either to add strength or to hold something in place. |
| fl...... | FL8 | A flange. |
| fl..... | FL7 | A soft cloth material originally woven from wool, today often combined with cotton or synthetic fibers. |
| fl.. | FL4 | A small, wingless, parasitic insect of the order Siphonaptera, renowned for its bloodsucking habits and jumping abilities. |
| fl.. | FL4 | To run away; to escape. |
| fl..... | FL7 | present participle of flee |
| fl... | FL5 | An act of throwing, often violently. |
| fl...... | FL8 | present participle of fling |
| ga.. | GA4 | A tool consisting of a large metal hook with a handle or pole, especially the one used to pull large fish aboard a boat. |
| ga... | GA5 | A foolish and embarrassing error, especially one made in public. |
| in.... | IN6 | To fill in a space, hole or gap. |
| in....... | IN9 | present participle of infill |
| le.. | LE4 | The usually green and flat organ that represents the most prominent feature of most vegetative plants. |
| li.. | LI4 | The state of organisms preceding their death, characterized by biological processes such as metabolism and reproduction and distinguishing them from inanimate objects; the state of being alive and living. |
| li...... | LI8 | A line to which a drowning or falling victim may cling. |
| na.. | NA4 | Alternative spelling of naïf. |
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.
- finagle† (FI7)
- leafing† (LE7)
- alfalfa (AL7)
- elfin (EL5)
- fail (FA4)
- failing (FA7)
- falafel (FA7)
- fall (FA4)
- fallen (FA6)
- falling (FA7)
- fang (FA4)
- fanning (FA7)
- feel (FE4)
- feeling (FE7)
- feign (FE5)
- feigning (FE8)
- feline (FE6)
- fell (FE4)
- fella (FE5)
- felling (FE7)
- fennel (FE6)
- fief (FI4)
- fife (FI4)
- fifing (FI6)
- file (FI4)
- filial (FI6)
- filing (FI6)
- fill (FI4)
- filling (FI7)
- finagling (FI9)
- final (FI5)
- finale (FI6)
- fine (FI4)
- finial (FI6)
- fining (FI6)
- flag (FL4)
- flagella (FL8)
- flagging (FL8)
- flail (FL5)
- flailing (FL8)
- flan (FL4)
- flange (FL6)
- flanging (FL8)
- flannel (FL7)
- flea (FL4)
- flee (FL4)
- fleeing (FL7)
- fling (FL5)
- flinging (FL8)
- gaff (GA4)
- gaffe (GA5)
- infill (IN6)
- infilling (IN9)
- leaf (LE4)
- life (LI4)
- lifeline (LI8)
- naif (NA4)
Answer Definitions
- finagle† (verb): To obtain, arrange, or achieve by indirect, complicated and/or intensive efforts.
- leafing† (verb): present participle and gerund of leaf
- alfalfa (noun): A plant, principally of Medicago sativa, grown as a pasture crop.
- elfin (noun): An elf; an inhabitant of fairy-land.
- fail (verb): To be unsuccessful.
- failing (verb): present participle of fail
- falafel (noun): A Middle Eastern food in the form of balls made from chickpeas or broad beans and other ingredients. Often served in a pita.
- fall (verb): To be moved downwards. To move to a lower position under the effect of gravity.
- fallen (verb): past participle of fall
- falling (verb): present participle of fall
- fang (noun): a long, pointed canine tooth used for biting and tearing flesh
- fanning (verb): present participle of fan
- feel (verb): To use or experience the sense of touch. To become aware of through the skin; to use the sense of touch on.
- feeling (adjective): Emotionally sensitive.
- feign (verb): To make a false show or pretence of; to counterfeit or simulate.
- feigning (verb): present participle of feign
- feline (adjective): Of or pertaining to cats.
- fell (verb): To make something fall; especially to chop down a tree.
- fella (noun): Pronunciation spelling of fellow.
- felling (verb): present participle of fell
- fennel (noun): A plant, Foeniculum vulgare, of the parsley family, which has a sweet, anise-like flavor.
- fief (noun): An estate held by a person on condition of providing military service to a superior.
- fife (noun): A small shrill pipe, resembling the piccolo flute, used chiefly to accompany the drum in military music
- fifing (verb): present participle of fife
- file (noun): A collection of papers collated and archived together.
- filial (adjective): Pertaining to or befitting a son or daughter.
- filing (noun): Any particle that has been removed by a file or similar implement; a shaving.
- fill (verb): To occupy fully, to take up all of.
- filling (verb): present participle of fill
- finagling (verb): present participle of finagle
- final (noun): A final examination; a test or examination given at the end of a term or class; the test that concludes a class.
- finale (noun): The grand end of something, especially a show or piece of music.
- fine (adjective): Senses referring to subjective quality. Of superior quality.
- finial (noun): The knot or bunch of foliage, or foliated ornament, that forms the upper extremity of a pinnacle in Gothic architecture.
- fining (verb): present participle of fine
- flag (noun): A piece of cloth, often decorated with an emblem, used as a visual signal or symbol.
- flagella (noun): plural of flagellum
- flagging (verb): present participle of flag
- 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.
- flailing (verb): present participle of flail
- flan (noun): Baked tart with sweet or savoury filling in an open-topped pastry case.
- flange (noun): An external or internal rib or rim, used either to add strength or to hold something in place.
- flanging (noun): A flange.
- flannel (noun): A soft cloth material originally woven from wool, today often combined with cotton or synthetic fibers.
- flea (noun): A small, wingless, parasitic insect of the order Siphonaptera, renowned for its bloodsucking habits and jumping abilities.
- flee (verb): To run away; to escape.
- fleeing (verb): present participle of flee
- fling (noun): An act of throwing, often violently.
- flinging (verb): present participle of fling
- gaff (noun): A tool consisting of a large metal hook with a handle or pole, especially the one used to pull large fish aboard a boat.
- gaffe (noun): A foolish and embarrassing error, especially one made in public.
- infill (verb): To fill in a space, hole or gap.
- infilling (verb): present participle of infill
- leaf (noun): The usually green and flat organ that represents the most prominent feature of most vegetative plants.
- life (noun): The state of organisms preceding their death, characterized by biological processes such as metabolism and reproduction and distinguishing them from inanimate objects; the state of being alive and living.
- lifeline (noun): A line to which a drowning or falling victim may cling.
- naif (adjective): Alternative spelling of naïf.