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.

• checkmate^†  (CH9)
• matchmake^†  (MA9)
• ache  (AC4)
• ahem  (AH4)
• attach  (AT6)
• attache  (AT7)
• cache  (CA5)
• cachet  (CA6)
• catch  (CA5)
• chat  (CH4)
• cheat  (CH5)
• check  (CH5)
• cheek  (CH5)
• cheetah  (CH7)
• each  (EA4)
• etch  (ET4)
• hack  (HA4)
• haka  (HA4)
• hake  (HA4)
• hamate  (HA6)
• hatch  (HA5)
• hatchet  (HA7)
• hate  (HA4)
• hath  (HA4)
• hatha  (HA5)
• heat  (HE4)
• heath  (HE5)
• heck  (HE4)
• heme  (HE4)
• ketch  (KE5)
• machete  (MA7)
• mahatma  (MA7)
• match  (MA5)
• matcha  (MA6)
• math  (MA4)
• meth  (ME4)
• tach  (TA4)
• teach  (TE5)
• tech  (TE4)
• teeth  (TE5)
• teethe  (TE6)
• that  (TH4)
• thatch  (TH6)
• thee  (TH4)
• them  (TH4)
• theme  (TH5)
• theta  (TH5)

Answer Definitions

• checkmate^† (interjection): Word called out by the victor when making a move that wins the game.
• matchmake^† (verb): To do matchmaking: to set up a date between two people or to arrange a marriage.
• ache (verb): To suffer pain; to be the source of, or be in, pain, especially continued dull pain; to be distressed.
• ahem (interjection): the sound of a quiet cough or of clearing one's throat
• attach (verb): To fasten, to join to (literally and figuratively).
• attache (noun): Alternative form of attaché
• cache (noun): A store of things that may be required in the future, which can be retrieved rapidly, protected or hidden in some way.
• cachet (noun): A seal, as of a letter.
• catch (noun): The act of seizing or capturing.
• chat (verb): To be engaged in informal conversation.
• cheat (verb): To violate rules in order to gain, or attempt to gain, advantage from a situation.
• check (noun): A situation in which the king is directly threatened by an opposing piece.
• cheek (noun): The soft skin on each side of the face, below the eyes; the outer surface of the sides of the oral cavity.
• cheetah (noun): A distinctive member (Acinonyx jubatus) of the cat family, slightly smaller than the leopard, but with proportionately longer limbs and a smaller head. It is native to Africa and also credited with being the fastest terrestrial animal.
• each (determiner): All; every; qualifying a singular noun, indicating all examples of the thing so named seen as individual or separate items (compare every).
• etch (verb): To cut into a surface with an acid or other corrosive substance in order to make a pattern. Best known as a technique for creating printing plates, but also used for decoration on metal, and, in modern industry, to make circuit boards.
• hack (verb): To chop or cut down in a rough manner.
• haka (noun): A group dance of New Zealand's Maori people featuring rhythmic chanting, vigorous facial and arm movements, and foot stamping. Traditionally a war dance, today it is also performed to welcome guests, as a mark of respect at occasions such as commemorations and funerals, as a challenge to opposing teams at sports events, and for artistic purposes.
• hake (noun): A hook; a pot-hook.
• hamate (adjective): Hooked at the end.
• hatch (noun): A horizontal door in a floor or ceiling.
• hatchet (noun): A small, light axe with a short handle; a tomahawk.
• hate (noun): An object of hatred.
• hath (verb): third-person singular simple present indicative form of have
• hatha (noun): The fundamental form of yoga that focuses on asanas
• heat (noun): Thermal energy.
• heath (noun): A tract of level uncultivated land with sandy soil and scrubby vegetation; heathland.
• heck (interjection): Hell.
• heme (noun): The component of hemoglobin (and other hemoproteins) responsible for binding oxygen. It consists of an iron ion that binds oxygen and a porphyrin ring that binds the globin molecules; one molecule binds one molecule of oxygen.
• ketch (noun): A fore-and-aft rigged sailing vessel with two masts, main and mizzen, the mizzen being stepped forward of the rudder post.
• machete (noun): A sword-like tool used for cutting large plants with a chopping motion, or as a weapon. The blade is usually 50 to 65 centimeters long, and up to three millimeters thick.
• mahatma (noun): An epithet granted in India and Tibet to people thought to have great knowledge and love of humanity
• match (noun): A competitive sporting event such as a boxing meet, a baseball game, or a cricket match.
• matcha (noun): A type of powdered green tea, traditionally used in Japanese tea ceremonies.
• math (noun): Clipping of mathematics.
• meth (noun): Methamphetamine, especially in the form of the crystalline hydrochloride.
• tach (noun): Clipping of tachometer.
• teach (verb): To pass on knowledge to.
• tech (noun): Technology.
• teeth (noun): plural of tooth
• teethe (verb): To grow teeth.
• 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.
• thatch (noun): Straw, rushes, or similar, used for making or covering the roofs of buildings, or of stacks of hay or grain.
• thee (pronoun): Objective and reflexive case of thou.
• them (pronoun): Those ones. Used as the direct object of a verb.
• theme (noun): A subject, now especially of a talk or an artistic piece; a topic.
• theta (noun): The eighth letter of the Modern Greek alphabet, ninth in Old Greek: Θ, θ.