NYT Spelling Bee Answers for July 12, 2025
Game Summary
| Center Letter | C |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | a, i, l, n, t, u |
| # of Pangrams | 2 (Perfect: 1) |
| Total Words | 53 words |
| Total Points | 290 points |
| Genius Level | 203 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 | 9 | Σ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 1 | 2 | 2 | - | - | - | 5 |
| C | 6 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 22 |
| I | - | 1 | 3 | 1 | - | - | 5 |
| L | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | - | - | 7 |
| N | - | - | 1 | - | 1 | - | 2 |
| T | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 11 |
| U | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | Σ | 10 | 14 | 14 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 53 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| A | AC×3 AN×1 AT×1 |
|---|---|
| C | CA×14 CI×1 CL×4 CU×3 |
| I | IL×2 IN×2 IT×1 |
| L | LA×4 LI×2 LU×1 |
| N | NA×1 NI×1 |
| T | TA×8 TI×2 TU×1 |
| U | UN×1 |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| A | ACA×2 ACT×1 ANT×1 ATT×1 |
|---|---|
| C | CAC×1 CAL×3 CAN×7 CAT×2 CAU×1 CIL×1 CLA×1 CLI×3 CUL×3 |
| I | ILI×1 ILL×1 INC×1 INT×1 ITA×1 |
| L | LAC×2 LAI×2 LIC×1 LIL×1 LUN×1 |
| N | NAU×1 NIA×1 |
| T | TAC×6 TAL×1 TAN×1 TIN×1 TIT×1 TUN×1 |
| U | UNC×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) |
|---|---|---|
| lu..... † | LU7 | An insane person. |
| na...... † | NA8 | Relating to or involving ships or shipping or navigation or seamen. |
| 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.... | AC6 | relating to a person's acts or deeds; active, practical |
| an... | AN5 | Playful, funny, absurd. |
| 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. |
| ca... | CA5 | plural of cactus |
| ca..... | CA7 | plural of calculus |
| ca.. | CA4 | A telephone conversation; a phone call. |
| ca... | CA5 | A marsh plant native to cooler areas throughout the northern hemisphere, Calla palustris, having pale green flowers in a white spathe. |
| ca... | CA5 | An artificial waterway or artificially improved river used for travel, shipping, or irrigation. |
| ca.... | CA6 | A high-kicking chorus line dance originating in France. |
| ca... | CA5 | Any member of the genus Canna of tropical plants with large leaves and often showy flowers. |
| ca..... | CA7 | A tube inserted in the body to drain or inject fluid. |
| ca.. | CA4 | An argot, the jargon of a particular class or subgroup. |
| ca..... | CA7 | A vocal composition accompanied by instruments and generally containing more than one movement, typical of 17th and 18th century Italian music. |
| ca..... | CA7 | A drinking establishment, often specifically of the type found in Latin America. |
| ca..... | CA7 | A shout or whistle expressing dislike, especially from a crowd or audience; a jeer, a boo. |
| ca..... | CA7 | Any of several perennial herbs, of the genus Typha, that have long flat leaves, and grow in marshy places. |
| ca.. | CA4 | A style of close-fitting circular cap worn by women in the sixteenth century and later, often made of linen. |
| ci... | CI5 | plural of cilium |
| cl.. | CL4 | A group of people all descended from a common ancestor, in fact or belief, especially when the exact genealogies are not known. |
| cl.... | CL6 | A medical facility, such as a hospital, especially one for the treatment and diagnosis of outpatients. |
| cl...... | CL8 | Dealing with the practical management of patients, in practice at the point of care; as contrasted with other health care venues (see clinical medicine for more explanation). |
| cl....... | CL9 | Any healthcare practitioner working at the point of care, in clinical practice (e.g., physicians in clinical medicine, nurses in nursing practice, or allied health providers in practice). |
| cu.. | CU4 | To pick or take someone or something (from a larger group). |
| cu.. | CU4 | A group, sect or movement following an unorthodox religious or philosophical system of beliefs, especially one in which members remove and exclude themselves from greater society, including family members not part of the cult, and show extreme devotion to a charismatic leader. |
| cu.... | CU6 | Of or relating to a cult or the methods of cults. |
| il... | IL5 | Relating to the ilium. |
| il..... | IL7 | Not approved by law, but not invalid. |
| in.... | IN6 | To state solemnly, to chant. |
| in.... | IN6 | Left complete or whole; not touched, defiled, sullied or otherwise damaged. |
| 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.... | LA6 | A small opening; a small pit or depression, especially in bone. A space visible between cells, allowing free passage of light. |
| 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). |
| 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. |
| ni.... | NI6 | A water-soluble vitamin, a component of vitamin B complex, found in meat, yeast, and dairy products; it is essential to metabolism. |
| ta... | TA5 | Implied, but not made explicit, especially through silence. |
| ta.. | TA4 | The sense of touch; feeling. |
| ta.... | TA6 | A maneuver, or action calculated to achieve some end. |
| ta...... | TA8 | of or relating to tactics |
| ta....... | TA9 | A person skilled in the planning and execution of tactics. |
| ta..... | TA7 | Of, or relating to the sense of touch. |
| ta.. | TA4 | Originally a large range of transparent or glistening foliated minerals. Examples include mica, selenite and the hydrated magnesium silicate that the term talc generally has referred to in modern times (see below). Also an item made of such a mineral and depending for its function on the special nature of the mineral (see next). Mediaeval writers adopted the term from the Arabic. |
| ta.... | TA6 | Pertaining to, containing, or obtained from tannin. |
| ti... | TI5 | A tint or colour. |
| ti..... | TI7 | Alternative letter-case form of Titanic Of or relating to the Titans, a race of giant gods in Greek mythology. Having great size, or great force, power, or strength. Of a conflict or contest: involving equally powerful participants. |
| tu... | TU5 | A garment worn over the torso, with or without sleeves, and of various lengths reaching from the hips to the ankles. |
| un... | UN5 | Not cut. |
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.
- lunatic† (LU7)
- nautical† (NA8)
- acacia (AC6)
- acai (AC4)
- actual (AC6)
- antic (AN5)
- attic (AT5)
- cacti (CA5)
- calculi (CA7)
- call (CA4)
- calla (CA5)
- canal (CA5)
- cancan (CA6)
- canna (CA5)
- cannula (CA7)
- cant (CA4)
- cantata (CA7)
- cantina (CA7)
- catcall (CA7)
- cattail (CA7)
- caul (CA4)
- cilia (CI5)
- clan (CL4)
- clinic (CL6)
- clinical (CL8)
- clinician (CL9)
- cull (CU4)
- cult (CU4)
- cultic (CU6)
- iliac (IL5)
- illicit (IL7)
- incant (IN6)
- intact (IN6)
- italic (IT6)
- lactic (LA6)
- lacuna (LA6)
- laic (LA4)
- laical (LA6)
- licit (LI5)
- lilac (LI5)
- niacin (NI6)
- tacit (TA5)
- tact (TA4)
- tactic (TA6)
- tactical (TA8)
- tactician (TA9)
- tactual (TA7)
- talc (TA4)
- tannic (TA6)
- tinct (TI5)
- titanic (TI7)
- tunic (TU5)
- uncut (UN5)
Answer Definitions
- lunatic† (noun): An insane person.
- nautical† (adjective): Relating to or involving ships or shipping or navigation or seamen.
- 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.
- actual (adjective): relating to a person's acts or deeds; active, practical
- antic (adjective): Playful, funny, absurd.
- 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.
- cacti (noun): plural of cactus
- calculi (noun): plural of calculus
- call (noun): A telephone conversation; a phone call.
- calla (noun): A marsh plant native to cooler areas throughout the northern hemisphere, Calla palustris, having pale green flowers in a white spathe.
- canal (noun): An artificial waterway or artificially improved river used for travel, shipping, or irrigation.
- cancan (noun): A high-kicking chorus line dance originating in France.
- canna (noun): Any member of the genus Canna of tropical plants with large leaves and often showy flowers.
- cannula (noun): A tube inserted in the body to drain or inject fluid.
- cant (noun): An argot, the jargon of a particular class or subgroup.
- cantata (noun): A vocal composition accompanied by instruments and generally containing more than one movement, typical of 17th and 18th century Italian music.
- cantina (noun): A drinking establishment, often specifically of the type found in Latin America.
- catcall (noun): A shout or whistle expressing dislike, especially from a crowd or audience; a jeer, a boo.
- cattail (noun): Any of several perennial herbs, of the genus Typha, that have long flat leaves, and grow in marshy places.
- caul (noun): A style of close-fitting circular cap worn by women in the sixteenth century and later, often made of linen.
- cilia (noun): plural of cilium
- clan (noun): A group of people all descended from a common ancestor, in fact or belief, especially when the exact genealogies are not known.
- clinic (noun): A medical facility, such as a hospital, especially one for the treatment and diagnosis of outpatients.
- clinical (adjective): Dealing with the practical management of patients, in practice at the point of care; as contrasted with other health care venues (see clinical medicine for more explanation).
- clinician (noun): Any healthcare practitioner working at the point of care, in clinical practice (e.g., physicians in clinical medicine, nurses in nursing practice, or allied health providers in practice).
- cull (verb): To pick or take someone or something (from a larger group).
- cult (noun): A group, sect or movement following an unorthodox religious or philosophical system of beliefs, especially one in which members remove and exclude themselves from greater society, including family members not part of the cult, and show extreme devotion to a charismatic leader.
- cultic (adjective): Of or relating to a cult or the methods of cults.
- iliac (adjective): Relating to the ilium.
- illicit (adjective): Not approved by law, but not invalid.
- incant (verb): To state solemnly, to chant.
- intact (adjective): Left complete or whole; not touched, defiled, sullied or otherwise damaged.
- italic (adjective): Designed to resemble a handwriting style developed in Italy in the 16th century.
- lactic (adjective): Of, relating to, or derived from milk.
- lacuna (noun): A small opening; a small pit or depression, especially in bone. A space visible between cells, allowing free passage of light.
- 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).
- 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.
- niacin (noun): A water-soluble vitamin, a component of vitamin B complex, found in meat, yeast, and dairy products; it is essential to metabolism.
- tacit (adjective): Implied, but not made explicit, especially through silence.
- tact (noun): The sense of touch; feeling.
- tactic (noun): A maneuver, or action calculated to achieve some end.
- tactical (adjective): of or relating to tactics
- tactician (noun): A person skilled in the planning and execution of tactics.
- tactual (adjective): Of, or relating to the sense of touch.
- talc (noun): Originally a large range of transparent or glistening foliated minerals. Examples include mica, selenite and the hydrated magnesium silicate that the term talc generally has referred to in modern times (see below). Also an item made of such a mineral and depending for its function on the special nature of the mineral (see next). Mediaeval writers adopted the term from the Arabic.
- tannic (adjective): Pertaining to, containing, or obtained from tannin.
- tinct (noun): A tint or colour.
- titanic (adjective): Alternative letter-case form of Titanic Of or relating to the Titans, a race of giant gods in Greek mythology. Having great size, or great force, power, or strength. Of a conflict or contest: involving equally powerful participants.
- tunic (noun): A garment worn over the torso, with or without sleeves, and of various lengths reaching from the hips to the ankles.
- uncut (adjective): Not cut.