NYT Spelling Bee Answers for September 11, 2025
Game Summary
| Center Letter | C |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | a, g, i, k, l, n |
| # of Pangrams | 4 (Perfect: 1) |
| Total Words | 53 words |
| Total Points | 326 points |
| Genius Level | 228 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 | 10 | Σ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 1 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 4 |
| C | 2 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 8 | 1 | - | 28 |
| G | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | - | - | 2 |
| I | - | 2 | - | - | - | 1 | - | 3 |
| K | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | 1 | 4 |
| L | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | - | - | - | 9 |
| N | 1 | - | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | 3 | Σ | 8 | 16 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 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 AL×1 |
|---|---|
| C | CA×11 CI×1 CL×16 |
| G | GL×2 |
| I | IC×1 IL×1 IN×1 |
| K | KI×2 KN×2 |
| L | LA×6 LI×3 |
| N | NI×3 |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| A | ACA×2 ACI×1 ALA×1 |
|---|---|
| C | CAC×1 CAG×1 CAK×1 CAL×3 CAN×5 CIL×1 CLA×7 CLI×9 |
| G | GLA×2 |
| I | ICI×1 ILI×1 INC×1 |
| K | KIC×2 KNA×1 KNI×1 |
| L | LAC×3 LAI×2 LAN×1 LIC×2 LIL×1 |
| N | NIA×1 NIC×2 |
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) |
|---|---|---|
| ca...... † | CA8 | present participle of cackle |
| cl...... † | CL8 | present participle of clack |
| cl...... † | CL8 | present participle of clank |
| la..... † | LA7 | present participle of lack |
| 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... | AC5 | present participle of ace |
| al... | AL5 | An expression of sorrow or mourning. |
| ca.... | CA6 | present participle of cage |
| ca.... | CA6 | present participle of cake |
| 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..... | CA7 | present participle of call |
| 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.... | CA6 | present participle of cane |
| ca... | CA5 | Any member of the genus Canna of tropical plants with large leaves and often showy flowers. |
| ca..... | CA7 | present participle of can (“to be able to”) |
| ci... | CI5 | plural of cilium |
| cl... | CL5 | An abrupt, sharp sound, especially one made by two hard objects colliding repetitively; a sound midway between a click and a clunk. |
| 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... | CL5 | A loud, ringing sound, like that made by free-hanging metal objects striking each other. |
| cl...... | CL8 | present participle of clang |
| cl... | CL5 | A loud, hard sound of metal hitting metal. |
| cl... | CL5 | A brief, sharp, not particularly loud, relatively high-pitched sound produced by the impact of something small and hard against something hard, such as by the operation of a switch, a lock, or a latch. |
| cl...... | CL8 | The sound or action of a click. |
| cl... | CL5 | Fruit (especially peach) whose flesh adheres strongly to the pit. |
| cl...... | CL8 | present participle and gerund of cling |
| 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). |
| cl... | CL5 | The sound of metal on metal, or glass on glass. |
| cl...... | CL8 | present participle of clink |
| gl..... | GL7 | Of, or relating to glaciers. |
| gl...... | GL8 | present participle of glance |
| ic... | IC5 | A sweet, often creamy and thick glaze made primarily of sugar, often enriched with ingredients like butter, egg whites, or flavorings, typically used for baked goods. |
| il... | IL5 | Relating to the ilium. |
| in....... | IN9 | present participle of incline |
| ki.. | KI4 | To strike or hit with the foot or other extremity of the leg. |
| ki..... | KI7 | Terrific, great (of clothes) smart, fashionable. |
| kn... | KN5 | A readiness in performance; aptness at doing something. |
| kn........ | KN10 | Alternative spelling of knick-knack |
| la.... | LA6 | present participle of lace |
| la.. | LA4 | A deficiency or need (of something desirable or necessary); an absence, want. |
| 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). |
| la..... | LA7 | present participle of lance |
| li.. | LI4 | To stroke with the tongue. |
| li..... | LI7 | The act by which something is licked. |
| 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. |
| ni.. | NI4 | A small cut in a surface. A particular place or point considered as marked by a nick; the exact point or critical moment. |
| ni..... | NI7 | present participle of nick |
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.
- cackling† (CA8)
- clacking† (CL8)
- clanking† (CL8)
- lacking† (LA7)
- acacia (AC6)
- acai (AC4)
- acing (AC5)
- alack (AL5)
- caging (CA6)
- caking (CA6)
- call (CA4)
- calla (CA5)
- calling (CA7)
- canal (CA5)
- cancan (CA6)
- caning (CA6)
- canna (CA5)
- canning (CA7)
- cilia (CI5)
- clack (CL5)
- clan (CL4)
- clang (CL5)
- clanging (CL8)
- clank (CL5)
- click (CL5)
- clicking (CL8)
- cling (CL5)
- clinging (CL8)
- clinic (CL6)
- clinical (CL8)
- clinician (CL9)
- clink (CL5)
- clinking (CL8)
- glacial (GL7)
- glancing (GL8)
- icing (IC5)
- iliac (IL5)
- inclining (IN9)
- kick (KI4)
- kicking (KI7)
- knack (KN5)
- knickknack (KN10)
- lacing (LA6)
- lack (LA4)
- laic (LA4)
- laical (LA6)
- lancing (LA7)
- lick (LI4)
- licking (LI7)
- lilac (LI5)
- niacin (NI6)
- nick (NI4)
- nicking (NI7)
Answer Definitions
- cackling† (verb): present participle of cackle
- clacking† (verb): present participle of clack
- clanking† (verb): present participle of clank
- lacking† (verb): present participle of lack
- 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.
- acing (verb): present participle of ace
- alack (interjection): An expression of sorrow or mourning.
- caging (verb): present participle of cage
- caking (verb): present participle of cake
- 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.
- calling (verb): present participle of call
- 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.
- caning (verb): present participle of cane
- canna (noun): Any member of the genus Canna of tropical plants with large leaves and often showy flowers.
- canning (verb): present participle of can (“to be able to”)
- cilia (noun): plural of cilium
- clack (noun): An abrupt, sharp sound, especially one made by two hard objects colliding repetitively; a sound midway between a click and a clunk.
- clan (noun): A group of people all descended from a common ancestor, in fact or belief, especially when the exact genealogies are not known.
- clang (noun): A loud, ringing sound, like that made by free-hanging metal objects striking each other.
- clanging (verb): present participle of clang
- clank (noun): A loud, hard sound of metal hitting metal.
- click (noun): A brief, sharp, not particularly loud, relatively high-pitched sound produced by the impact of something small and hard against something hard, such as by the operation of a switch, a lock, or a latch.
- clicking (noun): The sound or action of a click.
- cling (noun): Fruit (especially peach) whose flesh adheres strongly to the pit.
- clinging (verb): present participle and gerund of cling
- 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).
- clink (noun): The sound of metal on metal, or glass on glass.
- clinking (verb): present participle of clink
- glacial (adjective): Of, or relating to glaciers.
- glancing (verb): present participle of glance
- icing (noun): A sweet, often creamy and thick glaze made primarily of sugar, often enriched with ingredients like butter, egg whites, or flavorings, typically used for baked goods.
- iliac (adjective): Relating to the ilium.
- inclining (verb): present participle of incline
- kick (verb): To strike or hit with the foot or other extremity of the leg.
- kicking (adjective): Terrific, great (of clothes) smart, fashionable.
- knack (noun): A readiness in performance; aptness at doing something.
- knickknack (noun): Alternative spelling of knick-knack
- lacing (verb): present participle of lace
- lack (noun): A deficiency or need (of something desirable or necessary); an absence, want.
- 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).
- lancing (verb): present participle of lance
- lick (verb): To stroke with the tongue.
- licking (noun): The act by which something is licked.
- 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.
- nick (noun): A small cut in a surface. A particular place or point considered as marked by a nick; the exact point or critical moment.
- nicking (verb): present participle of nick