NYT Spelling Bee Answers for August 9, 2025
Game Summary
| Center Letter | I |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | a, b, l, t, x, y |
| # of Pangrams | 1 (Perfect: none) |
| Total Words | 36 words |
| Total Points | 168 points |
| Genius Level | 118 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 | Σ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | - | - | - | 8 |
| B | 3 | 2 | - | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | 9 |
| I | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 |
| L | 2 | 2 | 2 | - | 1 | 1 | - | 8 |
| T | 5 | 1 | 2 | - | - | - | 1 | 9 |
| X | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Y | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | Σ | 13 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 36 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| A | AB×1 AL×2 AT×2 AX×3 |
|---|---|
| B | BA×3 BI×6 |
| I | IL×1 IT×1 |
| L | LA×5 LI×3 |
| T | TA×5 TI×4 |
| X | |
| Y |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| A | ABI×1 ALI×2 ATA×1 ATI×1 AXI×3 |
|---|---|
| B | BAI×2 BAT×1 BIA×3 BIL×3 |
| I | ILL×1 ITT×1 |
| L | LAB×3 LAI×1 LAX×1 LIA×1 LIL×2 |
| T | TAI×1 TAL×2 TAX×2 TIB×2 TIL×2 |
| X | |
| Y |
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) |
|---|---|---|
| ta........ † | TA10 | The quality of being taxable. |
| ab..... | AB7 | Suitableness. |
| 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. |
| al.. | AL4 | simple past tense and past participle of alight |
| at.... | AT6 | Lack of coordination while performing voluntary movements, which may appear to be clumsiness, inaccuracy, or instability. |
| at... | AT5 | At an angle from the vertical or horizontal. |
| ax... | AX5 | Relating to, resembling, or situated on an axis |
| ax..... | AX7 | In relation to, or in a line with, an axis; in the axial (magnetic) line. |
| ax.... | AX6 | The armpit, or the cavity beneath the junction of the arm and shoulder. |
| 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 | Any substance, especially food, used in catching fish, or other animals, by alluring them to a hook, snare, trap, or net. |
| ba..... | BA7 | In a batty manner. |
| bi... | BI5 | A flat bread roll topped with onion flakes. Instead of a hole like a bagel, it has a depression in the middle. |
| bi..... | BI7 | Having two axes |
| bi....... | BI9 | In a biaxial fashion; along two axes. |
| bi...... | BI8 | Articulated with both lips. |
| bi.. | BI4 | Any of various bladed or pointed hand weapons, originally designating an Anglo-Saxon sword, and later a weapon of infantry, especially in the 14th and 15th centuries, commonly consisting of a broad, heavy, double-edged, hook-shaped blade, with a short pike at the back and another at the top, attached to the end of a long staff. |
| bi... | BI5 | A billy club. |
| il.. | IL4 | Badly; poorly. |
| it.. | IT4 | Extremely small. |
| 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...... | LA8 | The state of being labile. |
| la... | LA5 | People of a church who are not ordained clergy or clerics. |
| la.... | LA6 | The state of being lax; looseness, lack of tension. |
| li....... | LI9 | An obligation, debt or responsibility owed to someone. |
| li.. | LI4 | To do something rhythmically, with animation and quickness, usually of music. |
| li.. | LI4 | Any of several flowers in the genus Lilium of the family Liliaceae, which includes a great many ornamental species. |
| ta.. | TA4 | The caudal appendage of an animal that is attached to its posterior and near the anus. |
| ta.. | TA4 | plural of talus |
| ta.... | TA6 | A traditional Jewish prayer shawl with tassels which covers the chest and upper part of the back. |
| ta.. | TA4 | A vehicle that may be hired for single journeys by members of the public, driven by a taxi driver. |
| ti... | TI5 | The inner and usually the larger of the two bones of the leg or hind limb below the knee, the shinbone |
| ti.... | TI6 | Of or pertaining to a tibia or a structure associated with a tibia. |
| ti.. | TI4 | Until; to, up to; as late as (a given time). |
| ti.. | TI4 | To slope or incline (something); to slant. |
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.
- taxability† (TA10)
- ability (AB7)
- alibi (AL5)
- alit (AL4)
- ataxia (AT6)
- atilt (AT5)
- axial (AX5)
- axially (AX7)
- axilla (AX6)
- bail (BA4)
- bait (BA4)
- battily (BA7)
- bialy (BI5)
- biaxial (BI7)
- biaxially (BI9)
- bilabial (BI8)
- bill (BI4)
- billy (BI5)
- illy (IL4)
- itty (IT4)
- labia (LA5)
- labial (LA6)
- lability (LA8)
- laity (LA5)
- laxity (LA6)
- liability (LI9)
- lilt (LI4)
- lily (LI4)
- tail (TA4)
- tali (TA4)
- tallit (TA6)
- taxi (TA4)
- tibia (TI5)
- tibial (TI6)
- till (TI4)
- tilt (TI4)
Answer Definitions
- taxability† (noun): The quality of being taxable.
- ability (noun): Suitableness.
- 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.
- alit (verb): simple past tense and past participle of alight
- ataxia (noun): Lack of coordination while performing voluntary movements, which may appear to be clumsiness, inaccuracy, or instability.
- atilt (adjective): At an angle from the vertical or horizontal.
- axial (adjective): Relating to, resembling, or situated on an axis
- axially (adverb): In relation to, or in a line with, an axis; in the axial (magnetic) line.
- axilla (noun): The armpit, or the cavity beneath the junction of the arm and shoulder.
- 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.
- bait (noun): Any substance, especially food, used in catching fish, or other animals, by alluring them to a hook, snare, trap, or net.
- battily (adverb): In a batty manner.
- bialy (noun): A flat bread roll topped with onion flakes. Instead of a hole like a bagel, it has a depression in the middle.
- biaxial (adjective): Having two axes
- biaxially (adverb): In a biaxial fashion; along two axes.
- bilabial (adjective): Articulated with both lips.
- bill (noun): Any of various bladed or pointed hand weapons, originally designating an Anglo-Saxon sword, and later a weapon of infantry, especially in the 14th and 15th centuries, commonly consisting of a broad, heavy, double-edged, hook-shaped blade, with a short pike at the back and another at the top, attached to the end of a long staff.
- billy (noun): A billy club.
- illy (adverb): Badly; poorly.
- itty (adjective): Extremely small.
- 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.
- lability (noun): The state of being labile.
- laity (noun): People of a church who are not ordained clergy or clerics.
- laxity (noun): The state of being lax; looseness, lack of tension.
- liability (noun): An obligation, debt or responsibility owed to someone.
- lilt (verb): To do something rhythmically, with animation and quickness, usually of music.
- lily (noun): Any of several flowers in the genus Lilium of the family Liliaceae, which includes a great many ornamental species.
- tail (noun): The caudal appendage of an animal that is attached to its posterior and near the anus.
- tali (noun): plural of talus
- tallit (noun): A traditional Jewish prayer shawl with tassels which covers the chest and upper part of the back.
- taxi (noun): A vehicle that may be hired for single journeys by members of the public, driven by a taxi driver.
- tibia (noun): The inner and usually the larger of the two bones of the leg or hind limb below the knee, the shinbone
- tibial (adjective): Of or pertaining to a tibia or a structure associated with a tibia.
- till (preposition): Until; to, up to; as late as (a given time).
- tilt (verb): To slope or incline (something); to slant.