NYT Spelling Bee Answers for July 20, 2025
Game Summary
| Center Letter | P |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | g, i, l, n, o, t |
| # of Pangrams | 3 (Perfect: none) |
| Total Words | 72 words |
| Total Points | 418 points |
| Genius Level | 293 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 | 10 | 11 | Σ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | 2 | 1 | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | 4 |
| I | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| L | 2 | - | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | - | - | 9 |
| N | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| O | - | - | 2 | 2 | - | 1 | - | - | 5 |
| P | 11 | 7 | 8 | 13 | 5 | 1 | - | 1 | 46 |
| T | 1 | - | 2 | 2 | 2 | - | - | - | 7 | Σ | 16 | 8 | 14 | 21 | 9 | 3 | - | 1 | 72 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| G | GL×3 GO×1 |
|---|---|
| I | |
| L | LI×2 LO×7 |
| N | NI×1 |
| O | OP×5 |
| P | PI×23 PL×4 PO×19 |
| T | TI×4 TO×3 |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| G | GLO×3 GOO×1 |
|---|---|
| I | |
| L | LIP×2 LOL×3 LOO×2 LOP×2 |
| N | NIP×1 |
| O | OPI×2 OPT×3 |
| P | PIG×1 PIL×6 PIN×11 PIP×3 PIT×2 PLO×4 POG×2 POI×2 POL×5 PON×2 POO×4 POP×2 POT×2 |
| T | TIP×4 TOP×3 |
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) |
|---|---|---|
| pi...... † | PI8 | present participle and gerund of pilot |
| pl...... † | PL8 | present participle and gerund of plot |
| to...... † | TO8 | present participle and gerund of topple |
| gl... | GL5 | Any gooey, viscous substance. |
| gl.. | GL4 | To stare in amazement. |
| gl...... | GL8 | present participle and gerund of glop |
| go.. | GO4 | A thick, slimy substance; goo. |
| li.. | LI4 | Clipping of liposuction. |
| li..... | LI7 | present participle of lip |
| lo...... | LO8 | An item of confectionery consisting of a piece of candy/sweet attached to a stick. |
| lo.... | LO6 | To walk or move with a bouncing or undulating motion and at an unhurried pace. |
| lo....... | LO9 | present participle and gerund of lollop |
| lo.. | LO4 | A length of thread, line or rope that is doubled over to make an opening. |
| lo..... | LO7 | present participle and gerund of loop |
| lo.... | LO6 | present participle and gerund of lope |
| lo..... | LO7 | gerund of lop: the cutting off of branches, etc. |
| ni..... | NI7 | present participle of nip |
| op..... | OP7 | present participle of opine |
| op..... | OP7 | A belief, judgment or perspective that a person has formed, either through objective or subjective reasoning, about a topic, issue, person or thing. |
| op.... | OP6 | present participle and gerund of opt |
| op.... | OP6 | One of a set of choices that can be made. |
| op....... | OP9 | present participle and gerund of option |
| pi..... | PI7 | Damned (used as a mild intensive). |
| pi.... | PI6 | A structural support comprising a length of wood, steel, or other construction material. |
| pi.. | PI4 | A small, usually round or cylindrical object designed for easy swallowing, usually containing some sort of medication. |
| pi..... | PI7 | present participle of pill |
| pi..... | PI7 | A pad behind the saddle of a horse for a second rider. |
| pi... | PI5 | A person who steers a ship, a helmsman. |
| pi.. | PI4 | A high-pitched, short and somewhat sharp sound. |
| pi..... | PI7 | present participle of ping |
| pi.... | PI6 | present participle of pine |
| pi.... | PI6 | A wing. |
| pi....... | PI9 | present participle of pinion |
| pi..... | PI7 | present participle of pin |
| pi... | PI5 | Any of several grape varieties grown in Europe and North America. |
| pi...... | PI8 | The point of a pin. |
| pi......... | PI11 | present participle and gerund of pinpoint |
| pi.. | PI4 | A unit of volume, equivalent to: one eighth of a gallon, specifically: 20 fluid ounces, approximately 568 millilitres (an imperial pint) : one half quart 16 US fluid ounces [473 millilitres] for liquids (a US liquid pint) or approximately 18.62 fluid ounces [551 millilitres] for dry goods (a US dry pint). 1.696 liters 12 fluid ounces |
| pi... | PI5 | A horse with a patchy coloration that includes white. |
| pi.... | PI6 | present participle of pipe |
| pi... | PI5 | Any of various small passerine birds, mainly from the genus Anthus, that are often drab, ground feeding insectivores of open country. |
| pi.... | PI6 | A seed |
| pi... | PI5 | A spike, wedge, or peg that is driven into a rock or ice surface as a support (as for a mountain climber). |
| pi..... | PI7 | present participle of pit |
| pl.. | PL4 | A sound or action like liquid hitting a hard surface, or an object falling into a body of water. |
| pl...... | PL8 | present participle and gerund of plop |
| pl.. | PL4 | The course of a story, comprising a series of incidents which are gradually unfolded, sometimes by unexpected means. |
| po.. | PO4 | To use a pogo stick. |
| po..... | PO7 | present participle of pogo |
| po... | PO5 | A discrete division of something. An individual element in a larger whole; a particular detail, thought, or quality. |
| po...... | PO8 | The action of the verb to point. |
| po.... | PO6 | present participle and gerund of pole |
| po... | PO5 | Abbreviation of poliomyelitis. |
| po.. | PO4 | A survey of people, usually statistically analyzed to gauge wider public opinion. |
| po..... | PO7 | present participle and gerund of poll |
| po.. | PO4 | A ball game where two teams of players on horseback use long-handled mallets to propel the ball along the ground and into their opponent's goal. |
| po.. | PO4 | A stench, a bad smell. |
| po..... | PO7 | A flat-bottomed boat used as a support for a temporary bridge. |
| po.. | PO4 | A small and rather deep area of (usually) fresh water, as one supplied by a spring, or occurring in the course of a stream or river; a reservoir for water. |
| po..... | PO7 | Grouping together of various resources or assets. |
| po.. | PO4 | To make a short blast on a horn. |
| po..... | PO7 | The act of a wave (or other vessel) striking the stern of a vessel. |
| po.... | PO6 | A fabric of many varieties, usually made of silk and worsted; used especially for women's dresses. |
| po..... | PO7 | The act or sound of something that pops. |
| po.... | PO6 | A small portion or dose of a liquid which is medicinal, poisonous, or magical. |
| po..... | PO7 | present participle and gerund of pot |
| ti.. | TI4 | Alternative form of teepee |
| ti..... | TI7 | The practice of leaving a tip (gratuity). |
| ti...... | TI8 | present participle of tipple |
| ti.... | TI6 | The very topmost point. |
| to.... | TO6 | present participle and gerund of tope |
| to..... | TO7 | present participle and gerund of top |
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.
- piloting† (PI8)
- plotting† (PL8)
- toppling† (TO8)
- gloop (GL5)
- glop (GL4)
- glopping (GL8)
- goop (GO4)
- lipo (LI4)
- lipping (LI7)
- lollipop (LO8)
- lollop (LO6)
- lolloping (LO9)
- loop (LO4)
- looping (LO7)
- loping (LO6)
- lopping (LO7)
- nipping (NI7)
- opining (OP7)
- opinion (OP7)
- opting (OP6)
- option (OP6)
- optioning (OP9)
- pigging (PI7)
- piling (PI6)
- pill (PI4)
- pilling (PI7)
- pillion (PI7)
- pilot (PI5)
- ping (PI4)
- pinging (PI7)
- pining (PI6)
- pinion (PI6)
- pinioning (PI9)
- pinning (PI7)
- pinot (PI5)
- pinpoint (PI8)
- pinpointing (PI11)
- pint (PI4)
- pinto (PI5)
- piping (PI6)
- pipit (PI5)
- pippin (PI6)
- piton (PI5)
- pitting (PI7)
- plop (PL4)
- plopping (PL8)
- plot (PL4)
- pogo (PO4)
- pogoing (PO7)
- point (PO5)
- pointing (PO8)
- poling (PO6)
- polio (PO5)
- poll (PO4)
- polling (PO7)
- polo (PO4)
- pong (PO4)
- pontoon (PO7)
- pool (PO4)
- pooling (PO7)
- poop (PO4)
- pooping (PO7)
- poplin (PO6)
- popping (PO7)
- potion (PO6)
- potting (PO7)
- tipi (TI4)
- tipping (TI7)
- tippling (TI8)
- tiptop (TI6)
- toping (TO6)
- topping (TO7)
Answer Definitions
- piloting† (verb): present participle and gerund of pilot
- plotting† (verb): present participle and gerund of plot
- toppling† (verb): present participle and gerund of topple
- gloop (noun): Any gooey, viscous substance.
- glop (verb): To stare in amazement.
- glopping (verb): present participle and gerund of glop
- goop (noun): A thick, slimy substance; goo.
- lipo (noun): Clipping of liposuction.
- lipping (verb): present participle of lip
- lollipop (noun): An item of confectionery consisting of a piece of candy/sweet attached to a stick.
- lollop (verb): To walk or move with a bouncing or undulating motion and at an unhurried pace.
- lolloping (verb): present participle and gerund of lollop
- loop (noun): A length of thread, line or rope that is doubled over to make an opening.
- looping (verb): present participle and gerund of loop
- loping (verb): present participle and gerund of lope
- lopping (noun): gerund of lop: the cutting off of branches, etc.
- nipping (verb): present participle of nip
- opining (verb): present participle of opine
- opinion (noun): A belief, judgment or perspective that a person has formed, either through objective or subjective reasoning, about a topic, issue, person or thing.
- opting (verb): present participle and gerund of opt
- option (noun): One of a set of choices that can be made.
- optioning (verb): present participle and gerund of option
- pigging (adjective): Damned (used as a mild intensive).
- piling (noun): A structural support comprising a length of wood, steel, or other construction material.
- pill (noun): A small, usually round or cylindrical object designed for easy swallowing, usually containing some sort of medication.
- pilling (verb): present participle of pill
- pillion (noun): A pad behind the saddle of a horse for a second rider.
- pilot (noun): A person who steers a ship, a helmsman.
- ping (noun): A high-pitched, short and somewhat sharp sound.
- pinging (verb): present participle of ping
- pining (verb): present participle of pine
- pinion (noun): A wing.
- pinioning (verb): present participle of pinion
- pinning (verb): present participle of pin
- pinot (noun): Any of several grape varieties grown in Europe and North America.
- pinpoint (noun): The point of a pin.
- pinpointing (verb): present participle and gerund of pinpoint
- pint (noun): A unit of volume, equivalent to: one eighth of a gallon, specifically: 20 fluid ounces, approximately 568 millilitres (an imperial pint) : one half quart 16 US fluid ounces [473 millilitres] for liquids (a US liquid pint) or approximately 18.62 fluid ounces [551 millilitres] for dry goods (a US dry pint). 1.696 liters 12 fluid ounces
- pinto (noun): A horse with a patchy coloration that includes white.
- piping (verb): present participle of pipe
- pipit (noun): Any of various small passerine birds, mainly from the genus Anthus, that are often drab, ground feeding insectivores of open country.
- pippin (noun): A seed
- piton (noun): A spike, wedge, or peg that is driven into a rock or ice surface as a support (as for a mountain climber).
- pitting (verb): present participle of pit
- plop (noun): A sound or action like liquid hitting a hard surface, or an object falling into a body of water.
- plopping (verb): present participle and gerund of plop
- plot (noun): The course of a story, comprising a series of incidents which are gradually unfolded, sometimes by unexpected means.
- pogo (verb): To use a pogo stick.
- pogoing (verb): present participle of pogo
- point (noun): A discrete division of something. An individual element in a larger whole; a particular detail, thought, or quality.
- pointing (noun): The action of the verb to point.
- poling (verb): present participle and gerund of pole
- polio (noun): Abbreviation of poliomyelitis.
- poll (noun): A survey of people, usually statistically analyzed to gauge wider public opinion.
- polling (verb): present participle and gerund of poll
- polo (noun): A ball game where two teams of players on horseback use long-handled mallets to propel the ball along the ground and into their opponent's goal.
- pong (noun): A stench, a bad smell.
- pontoon (noun): A flat-bottomed boat used as a support for a temporary bridge.
- pool (noun): A small and rather deep area of (usually) fresh water, as one supplied by a spring, or occurring in the course of a stream or river; a reservoir for water.
- pooling (noun): Grouping together of various resources or assets.
- poop (verb): To make a short blast on a horn.
- pooping (noun): The act of a wave (or other vessel) striking the stern of a vessel.
- poplin (noun): A fabric of many varieties, usually made of silk and worsted; used especially for women's dresses.
- popping (noun): The act or sound of something that pops.
- potion (noun): A small portion or dose of a liquid which is medicinal, poisonous, or magical.
- potting (verb): present participle and gerund of pot
- tipi (noun): Alternative form of teepee
- tipping (noun): The practice of leaving a tip (gratuity).
- tippling (verb): present participle of tipple
- tiptop (noun): The very topmost point.
- toping (verb): present participle and gerund of tope
- topping (verb): present participle and gerund of top