NYT Spelling Bee Answers for January 28, 2025
Game Summary
| Center Letter | A |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | b, i, l, m, o, x |
| # of Pangrams | 1 (Perfect: 1) |
| Total Words | 46 words |
| Total Points | 175 points |
| Genius Level | 122 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 | Σ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 1 | 5 | 2 | - | - | 8 |
| B | 8 | - | 2 | 1 | 1 | 12 |
| I | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | 3 |
| L | 4 | 2 | 1 | - | - | 7 |
| M | 5 | 6 | 2 | 3 | - | 16 |
| O | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| X | - | - | - | - | - | - | Σ | 20 | 14 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 46 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| A | AB×2 AI×1 AL×1 AM×1 AX×3 |
|---|---|
| B | BA×6 BI×2 BL×2 BO×2 |
| I | IA×2 IM×1 |
| L | LA×4 LI×1 LL×1 LO×1 |
| M | MA×14 MO×2 |
| O | |
| X |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| A | ABL×1 ABO×1 AIO×1 ALI×1 AMM×1 AXI×3 |
|---|---|
| B | BAB×1 BAI×1 BAL×2 BAM×1 BAO×1 BIA×1 BIL×1 BLA×2 BOB×1 BOL×1 |
| I | IAM×2 IMA×1 |
| L | LAB×2 LAM×2 LIM×1 LLA×1 LOA×1 |
| M | MAI×3 MAL×1 MAM×5 MAX×5 MOM×1 MOO×1 |
| O | |
| X |
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) |
|---|---|---|
| ma..... † | MA7 | A box into which mail is put. A collection point for mail intended for onward delivery, a secure box or receptacle for this purpose. |
| ab.... | AB6 | In or into bloom; in a blooming state; having flower blooms unfolding. |
| ab... | AB5 | In a boil; boiling. |
| ai... | AI5 | A type of sauce, similar to mayonnaise, made from garlic, egg, lemon juice and olive oil. |
| al... | AL5 | The plea or mode of defense under which a person on trial for a crime proves or attempts to prove being in another place when the alleged act was committed. |
| am.. | AM4 | Ammunition. |
| ax... | AX5 | Relating to, resembling, or situated on an axis |
| ax.... | AX6 | The armpit, or the cavity beneath the junction of the arm and shoulder. |
| ax... | AX5 | A seemingly self-evident or necessary truth which is based on assumption; a principle or proposition which cannot actually be proved or disproved. |
| ba.. | BA4 | A kind of sponge cake soaked in rum-flavoured syrup. |
| ba.. | BA4 | Security, usually a sum of money, exchanged for the release of an arrested person as a guarantee of that person's appearance for trial. |
| ba.. | BA4 | A solid or hollow sphere, or roughly spherical mass. |
| ba.. | BA4 | Any of various aromatic resins exuded from certain plants, especially trees of the genus Commiphora of Africa, Arabia and India and Myroxylon of South America. |
| ba.... | BA6 | A fast-growing grass of the Poaceae family, characterised by its woody, hollow, round, straight, jointed stem, all of which are in the Bambuseae tribe. |
| ba.... | BA6 | A tree, Adansonia digitata (and similar species), native to tropical Africa, having a broad swollen trunk and edible gourd-like hanging fruits. |
| bi..... | BI7 | Having two axes |
| bi...... | BI8 | Articulated with both lips. |
| bl.. | BL4 | To tell tales; to gossip without reserve or discretion. |
| bl.. | BL4 | A sudden, explosive sound, such as is made by a gunshot |
| bo.. | BO4 | Synonym of tapioca pearl. |
| bo.. | BO4 | A throwing weapon made of weights on the ends of a cord. |
| ia.. | IA4 | A metrical foot in verse consisting of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. |
| ia... | IA5 | plural of iambus |
| im.. | IM4 | One who leads the salat prayers in a mosque. |
| la... | LA5 | The folds of tissue at the opening of the vulva, at either side of the vagina. |
| la.... | LA6 | Of or pertaining to the lips or labia. |
| la.. | LA4 | A master of Tibetan Buddhism. |
| la.. | LA4 | A young sheep. |
| li.. | LI4 | lima bean |
| ll... | LL5 | A South American mammal of the camel family, Lama glama, used as a domestic beast of burden and a source of wool and meat. |
| lo.. | LO4 | A type of soil; an earthy mixture of sand, silt and clay, with organic matter to which its fertility is chiefly due. |
| ma.. | MA4 | A bag or wallet. |
| ma.. | MA4 | To wound seriously; to cause permanent loss of function of a limb or part of the body. |
| ma.. | MA4 | A pedestrianised street, especially a shopping precinct. |
| ma.. | MA4 | Mother, female parent. |
| ma... | MA5 | Any of various venomous snakes of the genus Dendroaspis, native to Africa, that live in trees. |
| ma... | MA5 | A voodoo priestess (in Haiti) |
| ma... | MA5 | The milk-secreting organ of female humans and other mammals which includes the mammary gland and the nipple or teat; a breast; an udder. |
| ma.... | MA6 | An animal of the class Mammalia, characterized by being warm-blooded, having hair and producing milk with which to feed its young. |
| ma.. | MA4 | Having a hemline at ankle length. |
| ma..... | MA7 | Synonym of jaw. |
| ma... | MA5 | A self-evident axiom or premise; a pithy expression of a general principle or rule. |
| ma.... | MA6 | A music note equal to two (or sometimes three) longæ; in modern notation, this is typically equivalent to eight semibreves. |
| ma..... | MA7 | Largest, greatest (in magnitude), highest, most. |
| mo... | MO5 | mother |
| mo... | MO5 | Money, cash. |
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.
- mailbox† (MA7)
- abloom (AB6)
- aboil (AB5)
- aioli (AI5)
- alibi (AL5)
- ammo (AM4)
- axial (AX5)
- axilla (AX6)
- axiom (AX5)
- baba (BA4)
- bail (BA4)
- ball (BA4)
- balm (BA4)
- bamboo (BA6)
- baobab (BA6)
- biaxial (BI7)
- bilabial (BI8)
- blab (BL4)
- blam (BL4)
- boba (BO4)
- bola (BO4)
- iamb (IA4)
- iambi (IA5)
- imam (IM4)
- labia (LA5)
- labial (LA6)
- lama (LA4)
- lamb (LA4)
- lima (LI4)
- llama (LL5)
- loam (LO4)
- mail (MA4)
- maim (MA4)
- mall (MA4)
- mama (MA4)
- mamba (MA5)
- mambo (MA5)
- mamma (MA5)
- mammal (MA6)
- maxi (MA4)
- maxilla (MA7)
- maxim (MA5)
- maxima (MA6)
- maximal (MA7)
- momma (MO5)
- moola (MO5)
Answer Definitions
- mailbox† (noun): A box into which mail is put. A collection point for mail intended for onward delivery, a secure box or receptacle for this purpose.
- abloom (adverb): In or into bloom; in a blooming state; having flower blooms unfolding.
- aboil (adjective): In a boil; boiling.
- aioli (noun): A type of sauce, similar to mayonnaise, made from garlic, egg, lemon juice and olive oil.
- alibi (noun): The plea or mode of defense under which a person on trial for a crime proves or attempts to prove being in another place when the alleged act was committed.
- ammo (noun): Ammunition.
- axial (adjective): Relating to, resembling, or situated on an axis
- axilla (noun): The armpit, or the cavity beneath the junction of the arm and shoulder.
- axiom (noun): A seemingly self-evident or necessary truth which is based on assumption; a principle or proposition which cannot actually be proved or disproved.
- baba (noun): A kind of sponge cake soaked in rum-flavoured syrup.
- bail (noun): Security, usually a sum of money, exchanged for the release of an arrested person as a guarantee of that person's appearance for trial.
- ball (noun): A solid or hollow sphere, or roughly spherical mass.
- balm (noun): Any of various aromatic resins exuded from certain plants, especially trees of the genus Commiphora of Africa, Arabia and India and Myroxylon of South America.
- bamboo (noun): A fast-growing grass of the Poaceae family, characterised by its woody, hollow, round, straight, jointed stem, all of which are in the Bambuseae tribe.
- baobab (noun): A tree, Adansonia digitata (and similar species), native to tropical Africa, having a broad swollen trunk and edible gourd-like hanging fruits.
- biaxial (adjective): Having two axes
- bilabial (adjective): Articulated with both lips.
- blab (verb): To tell tales; to gossip without reserve or discretion.
- blam (noun): A sudden, explosive sound, such as is made by a gunshot
- boba (noun): Synonym of tapioca pearl.
- bola (noun): A throwing weapon made of weights on the ends of a cord.
- iamb (noun): A metrical foot in verse consisting of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable.
- iambi (noun): plural of iambus
- imam (noun): One who leads the salat prayers in a mosque.
- labia (noun): The folds of tissue at the opening of the vulva, at either side of the vagina.
- labial (adjective): Of or pertaining to the lips or labia.
- lama (noun): A master of Tibetan Buddhism.
- lamb (noun): A young sheep.
- lima (noun): lima bean
- llama (noun): A South American mammal of the camel family, Lama glama, used as a domestic beast of burden and a source of wool and meat.
- loam (noun): A type of soil; an earthy mixture of sand, silt and clay, with organic matter to which its fertility is chiefly due.
- mail (noun): A bag or wallet.
- maim (verb): To wound seriously; to cause permanent loss of function of a limb or part of the body.
- mall (noun): A pedestrianised street, especially a shopping precinct.
- mama (noun): Mother, female parent.
- mamba (noun): Any of various venomous snakes of the genus Dendroaspis, native to Africa, that live in trees.
- mambo (noun): A voodoo priestess (in Haiti)
- mamma (noun): The milk-secreting organ of female humans and other mammals which includes the mammary gland and the nipple or teat; a breast; an udder.
- mammal (noun): An animal of the class Mammalia, characterized by being warm-blooded, having hair and producing milk with which to feed its young.
- maxi (adjective): Having a hemline at ankle length.
- maxilla (noun): Synonym of jaw.
- maxim (noun): A self-evident axiom or premise; a pithy expression of a general principle or rule.
- maxima (noun): A music note equal to two (or sometimes three) longæ; in modern notation, this is typically equivalent to eight semibreves.
- maximal (adjective): Largest, greatest (in magnitude), highest, most.
- momma (noun): mother
- moola (noun): Money, cash.