NYT Spelling Bee Answers for May 23, 2025
Game Summary
| Center Letter | O |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | d, e, g, i, l, y |
| # of Pangrams | 1 (Perfect: none) |
| Total Words | 69 words |
| Total Points | 320 points |
| Genius Level | 224 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 | Σ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D | 4 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 24 |
| E | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| G | 2 | 6 | 8 | 3 | - | - | 19 |
| I | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | - | 4 |
| L | 5 | 1 | 3 | - | - | - | 9 |
| O | 5 | 5 | - | - | - | - | 10 |
| Y | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | 3 | Σ | 18 | 24 | 18 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 69 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| D | DI×2 DO×22 |
|---|---|
| E | |
| G | GE×3 GI×1 GO×15 |
| I | ID×2 IG×1 IO×1 |
| L | LO×9 |
| O | OD×1 OG×3 OI×2 OL×4 |
| Y | YO×3 |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| D | DIL×1 DIO×1 DOD×4 DOG×9 DOI×1 DOL×6 DOO×2 |
|---|---|
| E | |
| G | GEO×3 GIG×1 GOD×1 GOG×3 GOL×2 GOO×9 |
| I | IDE×1 IDO×1 IGL×1 IOD×1 |
| L | LOD×3 LOG×4 LOL×2 |
| O | ODD×1 OGE×1 OGL×2 OIL×2 OLD×1 OLE×1 OLI×1 OLL×1 |
| Y | YOD×2 YOG×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) |
|---|---|---|
| id...... † | ID8 | Doctrine, philosophy, body of beliefs or principles belonging to an individual or group. |
| di... | DI5 | An artificial phallus (penis) for sexual use. |
| di... | DI5 | An electronic device that allows current to flow in one direction only; used chiefly as a rectifier. |
| do... | DO5 | To avoid (something) by moving suddenly out of the way. |
| do.... | DO6 | simple past tense and past participle of dodge |
| do... | DO5 | evasive and shifty |
| do.. | DO4 | A large, flightless bird, †Raphus cucullatus, related to the pigeon, that is now extinct (since the 1600s) and was native to Mauritius. |
| do.. | DO4 | The chief magistrate in the republics of Venice and Genoa. |
| do.... | DO6 | simple past tense and past participle of dog |
| do...... | DO8 | In a way that is stubbornly persistent. |
| do.... | DO6 | Alternative spelling of doggy |
| do... | DO5 | Only used in lie doggo. |
| do... | DO5 | A dog, especially a small one. |
| do... | DO5 | A motherless calf in a range herd of cattle; a calf separated from its cow. |
| do.... | DO6 | Something (such as a canyon or road) with a sharp bend or turn in it. A configuration of stairs where a flight ascends to a half-landing before turning 180 degrees and continuing upwards. A sharp bend in the fairway before reaching a hole. |
| do....... | DO9 | simple past tense and past participle of dogleg |
| do... | DO5 | A small ornamental piece of lace or linen or paper used to protect a surface from scratches by hard objects such as vases or bowls; or to decorate a plate of food. |
| do.. | DO4 | To distribute in small amounts; to share out small portions of a meager resource. |
| do... | DO5 | simple past tense and past participle of dole |
| do.. | DO4 | A toy in the form of a human. |
| do.... | DO6 | simple past tense and past participle of doll |
| do..... | DO7 | simple past tense and past participle of dolly |
| do... | DO5 | A doll. |
| do.... | DO6 | A fool, a simpleton, a mindless person. |
| do..... | DO7 | simple past tense and past participle of doodle |
| ge... | GE5 | A nodule of stone having a cavity lined with mineral or crystal matter on the inside wall. |
| ge... | GE5 | The shape, extending through landmasses (continents, etc.), that the surface of the oceans of the Earth would take under the influence of the Earth's gravity and rotation alone, disregarding other factors such as winds and tides; that is, a surface of constant gravitational potential at zero elevation. |
| ge..... | GE7 | The science that studies the structure of the earth (or other planets), together with its origin and development, especially by examination of its rocks. |
| gi.... | GI6 | A man who has a sexual relationship with a woman from whom he receives payment. |
| go... | GO5 | Of or pertaining to a god |
| go.... | GO6 | To stare (at something) with wide eyes. |
| go..... | GO7 | simple past tense and past participle of goggle |
| go.... | GO6 | Resembling goggles, used mostly in relation to eyes. |
| go.. | GO4 | A heavy yellow elemental metal of great value, with atomic number 79 and symbol Au. |
| go... | GO5 | God! |
| go.. | GO4 | Acting in the interest of what is beneficial, ethical, or moral. |
| go.... | GO6 | Expression of pleasure; yippee. |
| go.... | GO6 | Good; pleasing in appearance; attractive; comely; graceful; pleasant; desirable. |
| go... | GO5 | Used to indicate pleasure or delight. |
| go... | GO5 | of or relating to goo |
| go.... | GO6 | To bowl (a cricket ball) so that it performs a googly (“a ball by a leg-break bowler that spins from off to leg (to a right-handed batsman), unlike a normal leg-break delivery”). |
| go..... | GO7 | simple past tense and past participle of google |
| go.... | GO6 | A ball, bowled by a leg-break bowler, that spins from off to leg (to a right-handed batsman), unlike a normal leg-break delivery. |
| go.... | GO6 | The number 10 100 {\displaystyle 10^{100}} , or ten to the power of a hundred. Equivalent to ten duotrigintillion (short scale), or ten sedecilliard (long scale). |
| id.. | ID4 | A graven image or representation of anything that is revered, or believed to convey spiritual power. |
| ig... | IG5 | A dome-shaped Inuit shelter, constructed of blocks cut from snow. |
| io.... | IO6 | A binary compound of iodine and another element or radical. |
| lo.. | LO4 | A way or path; a road. |
| lo... | LO5 | A building for recreational use such as a hunting lodge or a summer cabin. |
| lo.... | LO6 | simple past tense and past participle of lodge |
| lo.. | LO4 | A booth or stall. |
| lo.... | LO6 | simple past tense and past participle of log |
| lo.. | LO4 | A visual symbol or emblem that acts as a trademark or a means of identification of a company or organization. |
| lo.. | LO4 | Slow to respond or react; lethargic. |
| lo.. | LO4 | To act lazily or indolently while reclining; to lean; to lie at ease. |
| lo.... | LO6 | simple past tense and past participle of loll. |
| od... | OD5 | In a peculiar manner; strangely; unusually. |
| og.. | OG4 | A double curve in the shape of an elongated S; an object of that shape. |
| og.. | OG4 | To stare at (someone or something), especially impertinently, amorously, or covetously. |
| og... | OG5 | simple past tense and past participle of ogle |
| oi... | OI5 | simple past tense and past participle of oil |
| oi.. | OI4 | Relating to or resembling oil. |
| ol... | OL5 | Something or someone old. |
| ol.. | OL4 | A type of energy-absorbing landing gear strut in which sudden compression or extension of the strut causes a gas-filled chamber to push or pull a piston which forces oil through a small orifice, resulting in absorption of energy through viscous effects. |
| ol.. | OL4 | A rich, thick, Spanish stew consisting of meat and vegetables. |
| ol... | OL5 | An aerial maneuver in which one catches air by leaping off the ground with the skateboard and into the air. |
| yo... | YO5 | To sing (a song) in such a way that the voice fluctuates rapidly between the normal chest voice and falsetto. |
| yo..... | YO7 | simple past tense and past participle of yodel |
| yo.. | YO4 | A devotee or adherent of yoga. |
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.
- ideology† (ID8)
- dildo (DI5)
- diode (DI5)
- dodge (DO5)
- dodged (DO6)
- dodgy (DO5)
- dodo (DO4)
- doge (DO4)
- dogged (DO6)
- doggedly (DO8)
- doggie (DO6)
- doggo (DO5)
- doggy (DO5)
- dogie (DO5)
- dogleg (DO6)
- doglegged (DO9)
- doily (DO5)
- dole (DO4)
- doled (DO5)
- doll (DO4)
- dolled (DO6)
- dollied (DO7)
- dolly (DO5)
- doodle (DO6)
- doodled (DO7)
- geode (GE5)
- geoid (GE5)
- geology (GE7)
- gigolo (GI6)
- godly (GO5)
- goggle (GO6)
- goggled (GO7)
- goggly (GO6)
- gold (GO4)
- golly (GO5)
- good (GO4)
- goodie (GO6)
- goodly (GO6)
- goody (GO5)
- gooey (GO5)
- google (GO6)
- googled (GO7)
- googly (GO6)
- googol (GO6)
- idol (ID4)
- igloo (IG5)
- iodide (IO6)
- lode (LO4)
- lodge (LO5)
- lodged (LO6)
- loge (LO4)
- logged (LO6)
- logo (LO4)
- logy (LO4)
- loll (LO4)
- lolled (LO6)
- oddly (OD5)
- ogee (OG4)
- ogle (OG4)
- ogled (OG5)
- oiled (OI5)
- oily (OI4)
- oldie (OL5)
- oleo (OL4)
- olio (OL4)
- ollie (OL5)
- yodel (YO5)
- yodeled (YO7)
- yogi (YO4)
Answer Definitions
- ideology† (noun): Doctrine, philosophy, body of beliefs or principles belonging to an individual or group.
- dildo (noun): An artificial phallus (penis) for sexual use.
- diode (noun): An electronic device that allows current to flow in one direction only; used chiefly as a rectifier.
- dodge (verb): To avoid (something) by moving suddenly out of the way.
- dodged (verb): simple past tense and past participle of dodge
- dodgy (adjective): evasive and shifty
- dodo (noun): A large, flightless bird, †Raphus cucullatus, related to the pigeon, that is now extinct (since the 1600s) and was native to Mauritius.
- doge (noun): The chief magistrate in the republics of Venice and Genoa.
- dogged (verb): simple past tense and past participle of dog
- doggedly (adverb): In a way that is stubbornly persistent.
- doggie (noun): Alternative spelling of doggy
- doggo (adverb): Only used in lie doggo.
- doggy (noun): A dog, especially a small one.
- dogie (noun): A motherless calf in a range herd of cattle; a calf separated from its cow.
- dogleg (noun): Something (such as a canyon or road) with a sharp bend or turn in it. A configuration of stairs where a flight ascends to a half-landing before turning 180 degrees and continuing upwards. A sharp bend in the fairway before reaching a hole.
- doglegged (verb): simple past tense and past participle of dogleg
- doily (noun): A small ornamental piece of lace or linen or paper used to protect a surface from scratches by hard objects such as vases or bowls; or to decorate a plate of food.
- dole (verb): To distribute in small amounts; to share out small portions of a meager resource.
- doled (verb): simple past tense and past participle of dole
- doll (noun): A toy in the form of a human.
- dolled (verb): simple past tense and past participle of doll
- dollied (verb): simple past tense and past participle of dolly
- dolly (noun): A doll.
- doodle (noun): A fool, a simpleton, a mindless person.
- doodled (verb): simple past tense and past participle of doodle
- geode (noun): A nodule of stone having a cavity lined with mineral or crystal matter on the inside wall.
- geoid (noun): The shape, extending through landmasses (continents, etc.), that the surface of the oceans of the Earth would take under the influence of the Earth's gravity and rotation alone, disregarding other factors such as winds and tides; that is, a surface of constant gravitational potential at zero elevation.
- geology (noun): The science that studies the structure of the earth (or other planets), together with its origin and development, especially by examination of its rocks.
- gigolo (noun): A man who has a sexual relationship with a woman from whom he receives payment.
- godly (adjective): Of or pertaining to a god
- goggle (verb): To stare (at something) with wide eyes.
- goggled (verb): simple past tense and past participle of goggle
- goggly (adjective): Resembling goggles, used mostly in relation to eyes.
- gold (noun): A heavy yellow elemental metal of great value, with atomic number 79 and symbol Au.
- golly (interjection): God!
- good (adjective): Acting in the interest of what is beneficial, ethical, or moral.
- goodie (interjection): Expression of pleasure; yippee.
- goodly (adjective): Good; pleasing in appearance; attractive; comely; graceful; pleasant; desirable.
- goody (interjection): Used to indicate pleasure or delight.
- gooey (adjective): of or relating to goo
- google (verb): To bowl (a cricket ball) so that it performs a googly (“a ball by a leg-break bowler that spins from off to leg (to a right-handed batsman), unlike a normal leg-break delivery”).
- googled (verb): simple past tense and past participle of google
- googly (noun): A ball, bowled by a leg-break bowler, that spins from off to leg (to a right-handed batsman), unlike a normal leg-break delivery.
- googol (numeral): The number 10 100 {\displaystyle 10^{100}} , or ten to the power of a hundred. Equivalent to ten duotrigintillion (short scale), or ten sedecilliard (long scale).
- idol (noun): A graven image or representation of anything that is revered, or believed to convey spiritual power.
- igloo (noun): A dome-shaped Inuit shelter, constructed of blocks cut from snow.
- iodide (noun): A binary compound of iodine and another element or radical.
- lode (noun): A way or path; a road.
- lodge (noun): A building for recreational use such as a hunting lodge or a summer cabin.
- lodged (verb): simple past tense and past participle of lodge
- loge (noun): A booth or stall.
- logged (verb): simple past tense and past participle of log
- logo (noun): A visual symbol or emblem that acts as a trademark or a means of identification of a company or organization.
- logy (adjective): Slow to respond or react; lethargic.
- loll (verb): To act lazily or indolently while reclining; to lean; to lie at ease.
- lolled (verb): simple past tense and past participle of loll.
- oddly (adverb): In a peculiar manner; strangely; unusually.
- ogee (noun): A double curve in the shape of an elongated S; an object of that shape.
- ogle (verb): To stare at (someone or something), especially impertinently, amorously, or covetously.
- ogled (verb): simple past tense and past participle of ogle
- oiled (verb): simple past tense and past participle of oil
- oily (adjective): Relating to or resembling oil.
- oldie (noun): Something or someone old.
- oleo (noun): A type of energy-absorbing landing gear strut in which sudden compression or extension of the strut causes a gas-filled chamber to push or pull a piston which forces oil through a small orifice, resulting in absorption of energy through viscous effects.
- olio (noun): A rich, thick, Spanish stew consisting of meat and vegetables.
- ollie (noun): An aerial maneuver in which one catches air by leaping off the ground with the skateboard and into the air.
- yodel (verb): To sing (a song) in such a way that the voice fluctuates rapidly between the normal chest voice and falsetto.
- yodeled (verb): simple past tense and past participle of yodel
- yogi (noun): A devotee or adherent of yoga.