NYT Spelling Bee Answers for January 5, 2025
Game Summary
| Center Letter | H |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | a, g, i, l, n, t |
| # of Pangrams | 5 (Perfect: 2) |
| Total Words | 52 words |
| Total Points | 325 points |
| Genius Level | 227 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 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Σ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | - | - | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | 1 | 4 |
| G | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| H | 9 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 1 | - | 1 | 1 | 26 |
| I | - | - | - | - | 2 | - | - | - | - | 2 |
| L | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | 5 |
| N | 1 | 2 | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | 4 |
| T | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | 11 | Σ | 14 | 9 | 4 | 10 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 52 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| A | AL×2 AN×2 |
|---|---|
| G | |
| H | HA×13 HI×13 |
| I | IN×2 |
| L | LA×2 LI×3 |
| N | NI×4 |
| T | TA×2 TH×6 TI×3 |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| A | ALI×2 ANN×1 ANT×1 |
|---|---|
| G | |
| H | HAG×1 HAI×2 HAL×4 HAN×3 HAT×3 HIA×1 HIG×5 HIL×3 HIN×3 HIT×1 |
| I | INH×2 |
| L | LAT×2 LIG×3 |
| N | NIG×3 NIN×1 |
| T | TAH×1 TAI×1 THA×2 THI×4 TIG×1 TIL×1 TIT×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) |
|---|---|---|
| al....... † | AL9 | present participle and gerund of alight |
| an.......... † | AN12 | Causing annihilation; devastating. |
| ha..... † | HA7 | Prone to pauses or breaks; hesitant; broken. |
| hi......... † | HI11 | present participle and gerund of hightail |
| la..... † | LA7 | Invitation. |
| al.... | AL6 | To make less heavy; to lighten; to alleviate, to relieve. |
| an..... | AN7 | A cone-shaped structure built from sediment and other available materials by ants or termites, and beneath which the colony nests. |
| ha...... | HA8 | present participle of haggle |
| ha.. | HA4 | Balls or pieces of ice falling as precipitation, often in connection with a thunderstorm. |
| ha..... | HA7 | present participle of hail |
| ha... | HA5 | Permissible, according to Muslim religious customs, to have or do. |
| ha.. | HA4 | A corridor; a hallway. |
| ha.. | HA4 | To limp; move with a limping gait. |
| ha.. | HA4 | To be or remain suspended. |
| ha..... | HA7 | present participle of hang |
| ha...... | HA8 | A loose, narrow strip of nail tissue protruding from the side edge and anchored near the base of a fingernail or toenail. |
| ha.. | HA4 | third-person singular simple present indicative form of have |
| ha... | HA5 | The fundamental form of yoga that focuses on asanas |
| ha.... | HA6 | present participle of hate |
| hi.... | HI6 | Relating to a hiatus. |
| hi.. | HI4 | Physically elevated, extending above a base or average level: Very elevated; extending or being far above a base; tall; lofty. |
| hi....... | HI9 | An area or a spot in a drawing, painting, or photograph that is strongly illuminated. |
| hi.......... | HI12 | present participle of highlight |
| hi...... | HI8 | To move at full speed, especially in retreat. |
| hi.. | HI4 | An elevated landmass smaller than a mountain. |
| hi..... | HI7 | The act or process of heaping or drawing earth around plants. |
| hi.. | HI4 | The handle of a sword, consisting of grip, guard, and pommel, designed to facilitate use of the blade and afford protection to the hand. |
| hi..... | HI7 | present participle of hinge |
| hi.. | HI4 | A clue. |
| hi..... | HI7 | The act of giving a hint or suggestion. |
| hi..... | HI7 | A series of hits or blows directed at a person or object. |
| in...... | IN8 | intended for inhaling |
| in...... | IN8 | present participle of inhale |
| la.. | LA4 | A thin, narrow strip, fastened to the rafters, studs, or floor beams of a building, for the purpose of supporting a covering of tiles, plastering, etc. |
| li... | LI5 | Visible electromagnetic radiation. The human eye can typically detect radiation (light) in the wavelength range of about 400 to 750 nanometers. Nearby shorter and longer wavelength ranges, although not visible, are commonly called ultraviolet and infrared light. |
| li...... | LI8 | The equipment used to provide illumination; the illumination so provided. |
| li....... | LI9 | A flash of light produced by short-duration, high-voltage discharge of electricity within a cloud, between clouds, or between a cloud and the earth. |
| ni.. | NI4 | near, close by |
| ni... | NI5 | The period between sunset and sunrise, when a location faces far away from the sun, thus when the sky is dark. |
| ni........ | NI10 | a small, dim light or lamp left on overnight |
| ni... | NI5 | The ordinal form of the number nine. |
| ta.... | TA6 | A paste made from ground sesame seeds, and used to make hummus, baba ghanoush etc. |
| ta....... | TA9 | One of a pair of red lights mounted on the rear of a vehicle, so it can be seen from the rear at night. |
| th.. | TH4 | Used in comparisons, to introduce the basis of comparison. |
| th.. | TH4 | Introducing a clause which is the subject or object of a verb (such as one involving reported speech), or which is a complement to a previous statement. |
| th... | TH5 | The upper leg of a human, between the hip and the knee. |
| th.. | TH4 | Having little thickness or extent from one surface to its opposite. |
| th... | TH5 | That which is considered to exist as a separate entity, object, quality or concept. |
| th...... | TH8 | present participle of thin |
| ti... | TI5 | Firmly held together; compact; not loose or open. |
| ti... | TI5 | Agricultural labour; husbandry. |
| ti..... | TI7 | A tithe or tenth in its various senses, : The tithe given as an offering to the church. The payment of tithes. The collection of tithes. |
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.
- alighting† (AL9)
- annihilating† (AN12)
- halting† (HA7)
- hightailing† (HI11)
- lathing† (LA7)
- alight (AL6)
- anthill (AN7)
- haggling (HA8)
- hail (HA4)
- hailing (HA7)
- halal (HA5)
- hall (HA4)
- halt (HA4)
- hang (HA4)
- hanging (HA7)
- hangnail (HA8)
- hath (HA4)
- hatha (HA5)
- hating (HA6)
- hiatal (HI6)
- high (HI4)
- highlight (HI9)
- highlighting (HI12)
- hightail (HI8)
- hill (HI4)
- hilling (HI7)
- hilt (HI4)
- hinging (HI7)
- hint (HI4)
- hinting (HI7)
- hitting (HI7)
- inhalant (IN8)
- inhaling (IN8)
- lath (LA4)
- light (LI5)
- lighting (LI8)
- lightning (LI9)
- nigh (NI4)
- night (NI5)
- nightlight (NI10)
- ninth (NI5)
- tahini (TA6)
- taillight (TA9)
- than (TH4)
- that (TH4)
- thigh (TH5)
- thin (TH4)
- thing (TH5)
- thinning (TH8)
- tight (TI5)
- tilth (TI5)
- tithing (TI7)
Answer Definitions
- alighting† (verb): present participle and gerund of alight
- annihilating† (adjective): Causing annihilation; devastating.
- halting† (adjective): Prone to pauses or breaks; hesitant; broken.
- hightailing† (verb): present participle and gerund of hightail
- lathing† (noun): Invitation.
- alight (verb): To make less heavy; to lighten; to alleviate, to relieve.
- anthill (noun): A cone-shaped structure built from sediment and other available materials by ants or termites, and beneath which the colony nests.
- haggling (verb): present participle of haggle
- hail (noun): Balls or pieces of ice falling as precipitation, often in connection with a thunderstorm.
- hailing (verb): present participle of hail
- halal (adjective): Permissible, according to Muslim religious customs, to have or do.
- hall (noun): A corridor; a hallway.
- halt (verb): To limp; move with a limping gait.
- hang (verb): To be or remain suspended.
- hanging (verb): present participle of hang
- hangnail (noun): A loose, narrow strip of nail tissue protruding from the side edge and anchored near the base of a fingernail or toenail.
- hath (verb): third-person singular simple present indicative form of have
- hatha (noun): The fundamental form of yoga that focuses on asanas
- hating (verb): present participle of hate
- hiatal (adjective): Relating to a hiatus.
- high (adjective): Physically elevated, extending above a base or average level: Very elevated; extending or being far above a base; tall; lofty.
- highlight (noun): An area or a spot in a drawing, painting, or photograph that is strongly illuminated.
- highlighting (verb): present participle of highlight
- hightail (verb): To move at full speed, especially in retreat.
- hill (noun): An elevated landmass smaller than a mountain.
- hilling (noun): The act or process of heaping or drawing earth around plants.
- hilt (noun): The handle of a sword, consisting of grip, guard, and pommel, designed to facilitate use of the blade and afford protection to the hand.
- hinging (verb): present participle of hinge
- hint (noun): A clue.
- hinting (noun): The act of giving a hint or suggestion.
- hitting (noun): A series of hits or blows directed at a person or object.
- inhalant (adjective): intended for inhaling
- inhaling (verb): present participle of inhale
- lath (noun): A thin, narrow strip, fastened to the rafters, studs, or floor beams of a building, for the purpose of supporting a covering of tiles, plastering, etc.
- light (noun): Visible electromagnetic radiation. The human eye can typically detect radiation (light) in the wavelength range of about 400 to 750 nanometers. Nearby shorter and longer wavelength ranges, although not visible, are commonly called ultraviolet and infrared light.
- lighting (noun): The equipment used to provide illumination; the illumination so provided.
- lightning (noun): A flash of light produced by short-duration, high-voltage discharge of electricity within a cloud, between clouds, or between a cloud and the earth.
- nigh (adjective): near, close by
- night (noun): The period between sunset and sunrise, when a location faces far away from the sun, thus when the sky is dark.
- nightlight (noun): a small, dim light or lamp left on overnight
- ninth (adjective): The ordinal form of the number nine.
- tahini (noun): A paste made from ground sesame seeds, and used to make hummus, baba ghanoush etc.
- taillight (noun): One of a pair of red lights mounted on the rear of a vehicle, so it can be seen from the rear at night.
- than (conjunction): Used in comparisons, to introduce the basis of comparison.
- that (conjunction): Introducing a clause which is the subject or object of a verb (such as one involving reported speech), or which is a complement to a previous statement.
- thigh (noun): The upper leg of a human, between the hip and the knee.
- thin (adjective): Having little thickness or extent from one surface to its opposite.
- thing (noun): That which is considered to exist as a separate entity, object, quality or concept.
- thinning (verb): present participle of thin
- tight (adjective): Firmly held together; compact; not loose or open.
- tilth (noun): Agricultural labour; husbandry.
- tithing (noun): A tithe or tenth in its various senses, : The tithe given as an offering to the church. The payment of tithes. The collection of tithes.