NYT Spelling Bee Answers for January 20, 2025
Game Summary
| Center Letter | I |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | a, c, d, l, t, w |
| # of Pangrams | 1 (Perfect: 1) |
| Total Words | 46 words |
| Total Points | 188 points |
| Genius Level | 132 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 | Σ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 3 | 3 | 3 | - | - | 9 |
| C | - | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | 4 |
| D | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | 5 |
| I | - | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | 3 |
| L | 3 | 2 | 2 | - | - | 7 |
| T | 5 | 3 | 3 | - | 1 | 12 |
| W | 5 | - | - | 1 | - | 6 | Σ | 18 | 12 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 46 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| A | AC×4 AD×1 AL×1 AT×2 AW×1 |
|---|---|
| C | CA×2 CI×2 |
| D | DI×5 |
| I | IL×2 IT×1 |
| L | LA×4 LI×3 |
| T | TA×6 TI×3 TW×3 |
| W | WA×2 WI×4 |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| A | ACA×2 ACI×2 ADD×1 ALI×1 ATI×1 ATT×1 AWA×1 |
|---|---|
| C | CAC×1 CAT×1 CIC×1 CIL×1 |
| D | DIA×1 DIC×1 DID×2 DIL×1 |
| I | ILI×1 ILL×1 ITA×1 |
| L | LAC×1 LAI×3 LIC×1 LIL×2 |
| T | TAC×3 TAI×1 TAL×2 TID×1 TIL×2 TWI×3 |
| W | WAI×2 WIL×4 |
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) |
|---|---|---|
| wi..... † | WI7 | A cat that lives in the wilderness, specifically Felis silvestris, a common small Old World wild cat somewhat larger than a house cat. A bobcat (Lynx rufus) or other similar New World species of lynx. Any feral cat. Alternative spelling of wild cat, any undomesticated felid, as tigers or lions. |
| ac.... | AC6 | A shrub or tree of the tribe Acacieae. |
| ac.. | AC4 | Any of several South American palms, of the genus Euterpe, having a dark purple drupe. |
| ac.. | AC4 | Sour, sharp, or biting to the taste; tart; having the taste of vinegar. |
| ac.... | AC6 | Having a pH less than 7, or being sour, or having the strength to neutralize alkalis, or turning a litmus paper red. |
| ad.... | AD6 | A person who is addicted, especially to a harmful drug |
| al.. | AL4 | simple past tense and past participle of alight |
| at... | AT5 | At an angle from the vertical or horizontal. |
| at... | AT5 | The space, often unfinished and with sloped walls, directly below the roof in the uppermost part of a house or other building, generally used for storage or habitation. |
| aw... | AW5 | To wait for. |
| ca... | CA5 | plural of cactus |
| ca..... | CA7 | Any of several perennial herbs, of the genus Typha, that have long flat leaves, and grow in marshy places. |
| ci.... | CI6 | Any of several insects in the superfamily Cicadoidea, with small eyes wide apart on the head and transparent well-veined wings. The periodical cicada. |
| ci... | CI5 | plural of cilium |
| di.. | DI4 | A graduated, circular scale over which a needle moves to show a measurement (such as speed). |
| di... | DI5 | plural of dictum |
| di.... | DI6 | a didactic person |
| di...... | DI8 | Instructive or intended to teach or demonstrate, especially with regard to morality. |
| di.. | DI4 | Anethum graveolens (the type species of the genus Anethum), a herb, the seeds of which are moderately warming, pungent, and aromatic, formerly used as a soothing medicine for children; also known as dillseed. |
| il... | IL5 | Relating to the ilium. |
| il..... | IL7 | Not approved by law, but not invalid. |
| it.... | IT6 | Designed to resemble a handwriting style developed in Italy in the 16th century. |
| la.... | LA6 | Of, relating to, or derived from milk. |
| la.. | LA4 | A layperson, as opposed to a member of the clergy. |
| la.... | LA6 | Of or pertaining to a layperson, layman, laywoman, or laypeople (laity). |
| la.. | LA4 | simple past tense and past participle of lay |
| li... | LI5 | Not forbidden by formal or informal rules. |
| li... | LI5 | A large shrub of the genus Syringa, especially Syringa vulgaris, bearing white, pale-pink, or purple flowers. |
| li.. | LI4 | To do something rhythmically, with animation and quickness, usually of music. |
| ta... | TA5 | Implied, but not made explicit, especially through silence. |
| ta.... | TA6 | A maneuver, or action calculated to achieve some end. |
| ta...... | TA8 | of or relating to tactics |
| ta.. | TA4 | The caudal appendage of an animal that is attached to its posterior and near the anus. |
| ta.. | TA4 | plural of talus |
| ta.... | TA6 | A traditional Jewish prayer shawl with tassels which covers the chest and upper part of the back. |
| ti... | TI5 | Relating to tides. |
| ti.. | TI4 | Until; to, up to; as late as (a given time). |
| ti.. | TI4 | To slope or incline (something); to slant. |
| tw.... | TW6 | simple past tense and past participle of twilight |
| tw... | TW5 | A pattern, characterised by diagonal ridges, created by the regular interlacing of threads of the warp and weft during weaving. |
| tw.. | TW4 | To reproach, blame; to ridicule or tease. |
| wa.. | WA4 | To cry out, as in sorrow or anguish. |
| wa.. | WA4 | To delay movement or action until the arrival or occurrence of; to await. (Now generally superseded by “wait for”.) |
| wi.. | WI4 | Untamed; not domesticated; specifically, in an unbroken line of undomesticated animals (as opposed to feral, referring to undomesticated animals whose ancestors were domesticated). |
| wi.. | WI4 | Used to express the future tense, sometimes with some implication of volition when used in the first person. Compare shall. |
| wi.. | WI4 | To droop or become limp and flaccid (as a dying leaf or flower). |
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.
- wildcat† (WI7)
- acacia (AC6)
- acai (AC4)
- acid (AC4)
- acidic (AC6)
- addict (AD6)
- alit (AL4)
- atilt (AT5)
- attic (AT5)
- await (AW5)
- cacti (CA5)
- cattail (CA7)
- cicada (CI6)
- cilia (CI5)
- dial (DI4)
- dicta (DI5)
- didact (DI6)
- didactic (DI8)
- dill (DI4)
- iliac (IL5)
- illicit (IL7)
- italic (IT6)
- lactic (LA6)
- laic (LA4)
- laical (LA6)
- laid (LA4)
- licit (LI5)
- lilac (LI5)
- lilt (LI4)
- tacit (TA5)
- tactic (TA6)
- tactical (TA8)
- tail (TA4)
- tali (TA4)
- tallit (TA6)
- tidal (TI5)
- till (TI4)
- tilt (TI4)
- twilit (TW6)
- twill (TW5)
- twit (TW4)
- wail (WA4)
- wait (WA4)
- wild (WI4)
- will (WI4)
- wilt (WI4)
Answer Definitions
- wildcat† (noun): A cat that lives in the wilderness, specifically Felis silvestris, a common small Old World wild cat somewhat larger than a house cat. A bobcat (Lynx rufus) or other similar New World species of lynx. Any feral cat. Alternative spelling of wild cat, any undomesticated felid, as tigers or lions.
- acacia (noun): A shrub or tree of the tribe Acacieae.
- acai (noun): Any of several South American palms, of the genus Euterpe, having a dark purple drupe.
- acid (adjective): Sour, sharp, or biting to the taste; tart; having the taste of vinegar.
- acidic (adjective): Having a pH less than 7, or being sour, or having the strength to neutralize alkalis, or turning a litmus paper red.
- addict (noun): A person who is addicted, especially to a harmful drug
- alit (verb): simple past tense and past participle of alight
- atilt (adjective): At an angle from the vertical or horizontal.
- attic (noun): The space, often unfinished and with sloped walls, directly below the roof in the uppermost part of a house or other building, generally used for storage or habitation.
- await (verb): To wait for.
- cacti (noun): plural of cactus
- cattail (noun): Any of several perennial herbs, of the genus Typha, that have long flat leaves, and grow in marshy places.
- cicada (noun): Any of several insects in the superfamily Cicadoidea, with small eyes wide apart on the head and transparent well-veined wings. The periodical cicada.
- cilia (noun): plural of cilium
- dial (noun): A graduated, circular scale over which a needle moves to show a measurement (such as speed).
- dicta (noun): plural of dictum
- didact (noun): a didactic person
- didactic (adjective): Instructive or intended to teach or demonstrate, especially with regard to morality.
- dill (noun): Anethum graveolens (the type species of the genus Anethum), a herb, the seeds of which are moderately warming, pungent, and aromatic, formerly used as a soothing medicine for children; also known as dillseed.
- iliac (adjective): Relating to the ilium.
- illicit (adjective): Not approved by law, but not invalid.
- italic (adjective): Designed to resemble a handwriting style developed in Italy in the 16th century.
- lactic (adjective): Of, relating to, or derived from milk.
- laic (noun): A layperson, as opposed to a member of the clergy.
- laical (adjective): Of or pertaining to a layperson, layman, laywoman, or laypeople (laity).
- laid (verb): simple past tense and past participle of lay
- licit (adjective): Not forbidden by formal or informal rules.
- lilac (noun): A large shrub of the genus Syringa, especially Syringa vulgaris, bearing white, pale-pink, or purple flowers.
- lilt (verb): To do something rhythmically, with animation and quickness, usually of music.
- tacit (adjective): Implied, but not made explicit, especially through silence.
- tactic (noun): A maneuver, or action calculated to achieve some end.
- tactical (adjective): of or relating to tactics
- tail (noun): The caudal appendage of an animal that is attached to its posterior and near the anus.
- tali (noun): plural of talus
- tallit (noun): A traditional Jewish prayer shawl with tassels which covers the chest and upper part of the back.
- tidal (adjective): Relating to tides.
- till (preposition): Until; to, up to; as late as (a given time).
- tilt (verb): To slope or incline (something); to slant.
- twilit (verb): simple past tense and past participle of twilight
- twill (noun): A pattern, characterised by diagonal ridges, created by the regular interlacing of threads of the warp and weft during weaving.
- twit (verb): To reproach, blame; to ridicule or tease.
- wail (verb): To cry out, as in sorrow or anguish.
- wait (verb): To delay movement or action until the arrival or occurrence of; to await. (Now generally superseded by “wait for”.)
- wild (adjective): Untamed; not domesticated; specifically, in an unbroken line of undomesticated animals (as opposed to feral, referring to undomesticated animals whose ancestors were domesticated).
- will (verb): Used to express the future tense, sometimes with some implication of volition when used in the first person. Compare shall.
- wilt (verb): To droop or become limp and flaccid (as a dying leaf or flower).