NYT Spelling Bee Answers for August 27, 2025
Game Summary
| Center Letter | L |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | a, d, i, n, v, y |
| # of Pangrams | 1 (Perfect: none) |
| Total Words | 50 words |
| Total Points | 238 points |
| Genius Level | 167 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 | 2 | 4 | 2 | - | - | - | - | 8 |
| D | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | - | - | 1 | 9 |
| I | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | - | 1 | - | 9 |
| L | 6 | 2 | - | 1 | 1 | - | - | 10 |
| N | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 2 |
| V | 1 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2 | - | - | 12 |
| Y | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | Σ | 15 | 15 | 7 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 50 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| A | AL×2 AN×4 AV×2 |
|---|---|
| D | DA×4 DI×5 |
| I | ID×3 IL×1 IN×5 |
| L | LA×7 LI×3 |
| N | NA×2 |
| V | VA×6 VI×6 |
| Y |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| A | ALL×2 ANA×2 ANN×1 ANV×1 AVA×1 AVI×1 |
|---|---|
| D | DAI×1 DAL×1 DAN×1 DAY×1 DIA×1 DID×1 DIL×3 |
| I | IDL×1 IDY×2 ILL×1 INL×3 INV×2 |
| L | LAD×1 LAI×2 LAN×3 LAV×1 LIL×1 LIV×2 |
| N | NAI×1 NAV×1 |
| V | VAI×1 VAL×2 VAN×3 VIA×1 VIL×3 VIN×1 VIV×1 |
| 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) |
|---|---|---|
| in....... † | IN9 | In an invalid manner; without validity. |
| al... | AL5 | To make quiet or put at rest; to pacify or appease; to quell; to calm. |
| al.. | AL4 | To unite or form a connection between (people or things), as between families by marriage, or between states by confederacy, league, or treaty. |
| an.. | AN4 | of, related to, intended for or involving the anus. |
| an.... | AN6 | Involving the anus. |
| an... | AN5 | The record of a single event or item. |
| an... | AN5 | A heavy iron block used in the blacksmithing trade as a surface upon which metal can be struck and shaped. |
| av... | AV5 | To turn to the advantage of. |
| av.... | AV6 | In an avid manner; greedily; eagerly. |
| da... | DA5 | That occurs every day, or at least every working day |
| da... | DA5 | To waste time in trivial activities, or in idleness; to trifle. |
| da..... | DA7 | In a dandy or foppish manner. |
| da..... | DA7 | Any of several perennial plants, of the genus Hemerocallis, that have fleshy roots, grasslike leaves and colourful flowers that bloom for just one day. |
| di.. | DI4 | A graduated, circular scale over which a needle moves to show a measurement (such as speed). |
| di.... | DI6 | A small amount of no worth. |
| 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. |
| di... | DI5 | Redolent of dill (the herb). |
| di........ | DI10 | Alternative spelling of dilly-dally |
| id.. | ID4 | Without specific purpose, intent or effort. |
| id.. | ID4 | Alternative spelling of idyll |
| id... | ID5 | Any poem or short written piece composed in the style of Theocritus' short pastoral poems, the Idylls. |
| il.. | IL4 | Badly; poorly. |
| in.... | IN6 | simple past tense and past participle of inlay |
| in.... | IN6 | Within the land; relatively remote from the ocean or from open water; interior. |
| in... | IN5 | To place (pieces of a foreign material) within another material to form a decorative design. |
| in..... | IN7 | Not valid; not true, correct, acceptable or appropriate. |
| la.. | LA4 | The mistress of a household. |
| la.. | LA4 | simple past tense and past participle of lay |
| la.. | LA4 | past participle of lie (“to be oriented in a horizontal position, situated”) |
| la... | LA5 | A Hawaiian-style roofed patio. |
| la.. | LA4 | The part of Earth which is not covered by oceans or other bodies of water. |
| la...... | LA8 | A female landlord. |
| la.. | LA4 | The molten rock ejected by a volcano from its crater or fissured sides. |
| li.. | LI4 | Any of several flowers in the genus Lilium of the family Liliaceae, which includes a great many ornamental species. |
| li... | LI5 | Having a dark, bluish appearance. |
| li..... | LI7 | In a way that is livid. |
| na.. | NA4 | The thin, horny plate at the ends of fingers and toes on humans and some other animals. |
| na... | NA5 | Of or relating to a navy. |
| va.... | VA6 | In a vain pursuit; to no avail. |
| va... | VA5 | Well grounded or justifiable, pertinent. |
| va..... | VA7 | In a valid manner. |
| va.... | VA6 | A person who needlessly destroys, defaces, or damages other people's property. |
| va..... | VA7 | Any tropical, climbing orchid of the genus Vanilla (especially Vanilla planifolia), bearing podlike fruit yielding an extract used in flavoring food or in perfumes. |
| va...... | VA8 | A chemical compound, 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde, that is the primary constituent of vanilla. |
| vi.. | VI4 | A glass vessel or bottle, especially a small tube-shaped bottle used to store medicine, perfume or other chemicals. |
| vi... | VI5 | A house, often larger and more expensive than average, in the countryside or on the coast, often used as a retreat. |
| vi..... | VI7 | (Can we clean up this sense?) A vile, wicked person. An extremely depraved person, or one capable or guilty of great crimes. A deliberate scoundrel. |
| vi...... | VI8 | Evil or wicked character or behaviour. |
| vi... | VI5 | The univalent radical CH2=CH−, derived from ethylene. |
| vi..... | VI7 | In a vivid manner. |
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.
- invalidly† (IN9)
- allay (AL5)
- ally (AL4)
- anal (AN4)
- anally (AN6)
- annal (AN5)
- anvil (AN5)
- avail (AV5)
- avidly (AV6)
- daily (DA5)
- dally (DA5)
- dandily (DA7)
- daylily (DA7)
- dial (DI4)
- diddly (DI6)
- dill (DI4)
- dilly (DI5)
- dillydally (DI10)
- idly (ID4)
- idyl (ID4)
- idyll (ID5)
- illy (IL4)
- inlaid (IN6)
- inland (IN6)
- inlay (IN5)
- invalid (IN7)
- lady (LA4)
- laid (LA4)
- lain (LA4)
- lanai (LA5)
- land (LA4)
- landlady (LA8)
- lava (LA4)
- lily (LI4)
- livid (LI5)
- lividly (LI7)
- nail (NA4)
- naval (NA5)
- vainly (VA6)
- valid (VA5)
- validly (VA7)
- vandal (VA6)
- vanilla (VA7)
- vanillin (VA8)
- vial (VI4)
- villa (VI5)
- villain (VI7)
- villainy (VI8)
- vinyl (VI5)
- vividly (VI7)
Answer Definitions
- invalidly† (adverb): In an invalid manner; without validity.
- allay (verb): To make quiet or put at rest; to pacify or appease; to quell; to calm.
- ally (verb): To unite or form a connection between (people or things), as between families by marriage, or between states by confederacy, league, or treaty.
- anal (adjective): of, related to, intended for or involving the anus.
- anally (adverb): Involving the anus.
- annal (noun): The record of a single event or item.
- anvil (noun): A heavy iron block used in the blacksmithing trade as a surface upon which metal can be struck and shaped.
- avail (verb): To turn to the advantage of.
- avidly (adverb): In an avid manner; greedily; eagerly.
- daily (adjective): That occurs every day, or at least every working day
- dally (verb): To waste time in trivial activities, or in idleness; to trifle.
- dandily (adverb): In a dandy or foppish manner.
- daylily (noun): Any of several perennial plants, of the genus Hemerocallis, that have fleshy roots, grasslike leaves and colourful flowers that bloom for just one day.
- dial (noun): A graduated, circular scale over which a needle moves to show a measurement (such as speed).
- diddly (noun): A small amount of no worth.
- 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.
- dilly (adjective): Redolent of dill (the herb).
- dillydally (verb): Alternative spelling of dilly-dally
- idly (adverb): Without specific purpose, intent or effort.
- idyl (noun): Alternative spelling of idyll
- idyll (noun): Any poem or short written piece composed in the style of Theocritus' short pastoral poems, the Idylls.
- illy (adverb): Badly; poorly.
- inlaid (verb): simple past tense and past participle of inlay
- inland (adjective): Within the land; relatively remote from the ocean or from open water; interior.
- inlay (verb): To place (pieces of a foreign material) within another material to form a decorative design.
- invalid (adjective): Not valid; not true, correct, acceptable or appropriate.
- lady (noun): The mistress of a household.
- laid (verb): simple past tense and past participle of lay
- lain (verb): past participle of lie (“to be oriented in a horizontal position, situated”)
- lanai (noun): A Hawaiian-style roofed patio.
- land (noun): The part of Earth which is not covered by oceans or other bodies of water.
- landlady (noun): A female landlord.
- lava (noun): The molten rock ejected by a volcano from its crater or fissured sides.
- lily (noun): Any of several flowers in the genus Lilium of the family Liliaceae, which includes a great many ornamental species.
- livid (adjective): Having a dark, bluish appearance.
- lividly (adverb): In a way that is livid.
- nail (noun): The thin, horny plate at the ends of fingers and toes on humans and some other animals.
- naval (adjective): Of or relating to a navy.
- vainly (adverb): In a vain pursuit; to no avail.
- valid (adjective): Well grounded or justifiable, pertinent.
- validly (adverb): In a valid manner.
- vandal (noun): A person who needlessly destroys, defaces, or damages other people's property.
- vanilla (noun): Any tropical, climbing orchid of the genus Vanilla (especially Vanilla planifolia), bearing podlike fruit yielding an extract used in flavoring food or in perfumes.
- vanillin (noun): A chemical compound, 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde, that is the primary constituent of vanilla.
- vial (noun): A glass vessel or bottle, especially a small tube-shaped bottle used to store medicine, perfume or other chemicals.
- villa (noun): A house, often larger and more expensive than average, in the countryside or on the coast, often used as a retreat.
- villain (noun): (Can we clean up this sense?) A vile, wicked person. An extremely depraved person, or one capable or guilty of great crimes. A deliberate scoundrel.
- villainy (noun): Evil or wicked character or behaviour.
- vinyl (noun): The univalent radical CH2=CH−, derived from ethylene.
- vividly (adverb): In a vivid manner.