NYT Spelling Bee Answers for August 21, 2025
Game Summary
| Center Letter | L |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | d, g, i, m, n, p |
| # of Pangrams | 1 (Perfect: none) |
| Total Words | 28 words |
| Total Points | 156 points |
| Genius Level | 109 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 | Σ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D | 1 | - | - | - | 2 | 3 |
| G | 2 | - | - | 3 | 1 | 6 |
| I | - | - | 1 | - | - | 1 |
| L | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | - | 8 |
| M | 2 | - | - | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| N | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 |
| P | 1 | - | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | Σ | 8 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 7 | 28 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| D | DI×3 |
|---|---|
| G | GI×5 GL×1 |
| I | ID×1 |
| L | LI×8 |
| M | MI×5 |
| N | NI×1 |
| P | PI×4 |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| D | DID×1 DIL×1 DIM×1 |
|---|---|
| G | GIG×1 GIL×4 GLI×1 |
| I | IDL×1 |
| L | LIM×5 LIN×1 LIP×2 |
| M | MID×1 MIL×3 MIN×1 |
| N | NIG×1 |
| P | PID×1 PIL×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) |
|---|---|---|
| di...... † | DI8 | present participle and gerund of dimple |
| di...... | DI8 | present participle of diddle |
| di.. | DI4 | Anethum graveolens (the type species of the genus Anethum), a herb, the seeds of which are moderately warming, pungent, and aromatic, formerly used as a soothing medicine for children; also known as dillseed. |
| gi...... | GI8 | present participle of giggle |
| gi.. | GI4 | To cover with a thin layer of gold; to cover with gold leaf. |
| gi..... | GI7 | present participle of gild |
| gi.. | GI4 | a breathing organ of fish and other aquatic animals |
| gi..... | GI7 | present participle of gill |
| gl..... | GL7 | The action or motion of something that glides. |
| id.... | ID6 | present participle of idle |
| li.. | LI4 | To draw or paint; to delineate. |
| li..... | LI7 | present participle of limn |
| li.. | LI4 | To walk lamely, as if favouring one leg. |
| li.... | LI6 | Clear, transparent or bright. |
| li..... | LI7 | present participle and gerund of limp |
| li.... | LI6 | A covering for the inside surface of something. |
| li... | LI5 | Any of a group of organic compounds including the fats, oils, waxes, sterols, and triglycerides. Lipids are characterized by being insoluble in water, and account for most of the fat present in the human body. |
| li..... | LI7 | present participle of lip |
| mi...... | MI8 | Of intermediate or average size, position, or quality; mediocre. |
| mi.. | MI4 | Gentle and not easily angered. |
| mi.. | MI4 | A grinding apparatus for substances such as grains, seeds, etc. |
| mi..... | MI7 | A grinding process using a mill. |
| mi...... | MI8 | present participle of mingle |
| ni...... | NI8 | present participle of niggle |
| pi...... | PI8 | Insignificant, negligible, paltry, trivial, useless. |
| 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 |
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.
- dimpling† (DI8)
- diddling (DI8)
- dill (DI4)
- giggling (GI8)
- gild (GI4)
- gilding (GI7)
- gill (GI4)
- gilling (GI7)
- gliding (GL7)
- idling (ID6)
- limn (LI4)
- limning (LI7)
- limp (LI4)
- limpid (LI6)
- limping (LI7)
- lining (LI6)
- lipid (LI5)
- lipping (LI7)
- middling (MI8)
- mild (MI4)
- mill (MI4)
- milling (MI7)
- mingling (MI8)
- niggling (NI8)
- piddling (PI8)
- piling (PI6)
- pill (PI4)
- pilling (PI7)
Answer Definitions
- dimpling† (verb): present participle and gerund of dimple
- diddling (verb): present participle of diddle
- dill (noun): Anethum graveolens (the type species of the genus Anethum), a herb, the seeds of which are moderately warming, pungent, and aromatic, formerly used as a soothing medicine for children; also known as dillseed.
- giggling (verb): present participle of giggle
- gild (verb): To cover with a thin layer of gold; to cover with gold leaf.
- gilding (verb): present participle of gild
- gill (noun): a breathing organ of fish and other aquatic animals
- gilling (verb): present participle of gill
- gliding (noun): The action or motion of something that glides.
- idling (verb): present participle of idle
- limn (verb): To draw or paint; to delineate.
- limning (verb): present participle of limn
- limp (verb): To walk lamely, as if favouring one leg.
- limpid (adjective): Clear, transparent or bright.
- limping (verb): present participle and gerund of limp
- lining (noun): A covering for the inside surface of something.
- lipid (noun): Any of a group of organic compounds including the fats, oils, waxes, sterols, and triglycerides. Lipids are characterized by being insoluble in water, and account for most of the fat present in the human body.
- lipping (verb): present participle of lip
- middling (adjective): Of intermediate or average size, position, or quality; mediocre.
- mild (adjective): Gentle and not easily angered.
- mill (noun): A grinding apparatus for substances such as grains, seeds, etc.
- milling (noun): A grinding process using a mill.
- mingling (verb): present participle of mingle
- niggling (verb): present participle of niggle
- piddling (adjective): Insignificant, negligible, paltry, trivial, useless.
- 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