NYT Spelling Bee Answers for September 17, 2025
Game Summary
| Center Letter | N |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | c, i, l, o, t, u |
| # of Pangrams | 2 (Perfect: 1) |
| Total Words | 51 words |
| Total Points | 260 points |
| Genius Level | 182 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | 1 | 3 | 3 | 4 | - | 1 | 1 | 13 |
| I | 2 | 1 | 2 | - | - | 1 | - | 6 |
| L | 4 | - | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | - | 7 |
| N | 3 | - | 2 | - | 1 | 1 | - | 7 |
| O | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | 1 | - | 3 |
| T | 2 | 3 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 6 |
| U | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | 9 | Σ | 15 | 12 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 51 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| C | CL×1 CO×12 |
|---|---|
| I | IC×2 IN×3 IO×1 |
| L | LI×3 LO×4 |
| N | NO×5 NU×2 |
| O | OC×1 ON×2 |
| T | TI×2 TO×2 TU×2 |
| U | UN×9 |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| C | CLI×1 COC×2 COI×1 COL×2 CON×3 COT×2 COU×2 |
|---|---|
| I | ICO×2 INT×3 ION×1 |
| L | LIN×2 LIO×1 LOC×1 LOI×1 LOO×1 LOT×1 |
| N | NON×2 NOO×1 NOT×1 NOU×1 NUL×1 NUN×1 |
| O | OCT×1 ONI×1 ONT×1 |
| T | TIN×2 TON×1 TOO×1 TUI×1 TUN×1 |
| U | UNC×4 UNI×2 UNL×1 UNT×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) |
|---|---|---|
| li..... † | LI7 | A type of woodcut in which a block of linoleum is used for the relief surface; the design cut into the block. |
| lo...... † | LO8 | A phrase or expression connected to an individual or a group of individuals through repeated usage. |
| cl.... | CL6 | A medical facility, such as a hospital, especially one for the treatment and diagnosis of outpatients. |
| co..... | CO7 | A fruit of the coconut palm (not a true nut), Cocos nucifera, having a fibrous husk surrounding a large seed. |
| co.... | CO6 | The silky protective case spun by the larvae of some insects in which they metamorphose, the pupa. |
| co.. | CO4 | A piece of currency, usually metallic and in the shape of a disc, but sometimes polygonal, or with a hole in the middle. |
| co... | CO5 | The punctuation mark ":". |
| co..... | CO7 | Of, relating to, affecting or within the colon. |
| co..... | CO7 | To prepare something by mixing various ingredients, especially to prepare food for cooking. |
| co........ | CO10 | The preparing of a medicine, food or other substance out of many ingredients. |
| co... | CO5 | Synonym of conical |
| co....... | CO9 | A bold dance performed in groups of eight where women lift their skirts to display their ankles. |
| co.... | CO6 | Gossypium, a genus of plant used as a source of cotton fiber. |
| co..... | CO7 | A committee that leads or governs (e.g. city council, student council). |
| co... | CO5 | To recite numbers in sequence. |
| ic.. | IC4 | An image, symbol, picture, or other representation usually as an object of religious devotion. |
| ic.... | IC6 | Relating to, or having the characteristics of, an icon. |
| in.. | IN4 | To or towards the inside of. |
| in.... | IN6 | To know intuitively or by immediate perception. |
| in....... | IN9 | Immediate cognition without the use of conscious rational processes. |
| io... | IO5 | of, relating to, or containing ions |
| li.. | LI4 | Clinging fuzzy fluff that clings to fabric or accumulates in one's pockets or navel etc. |
| li.. | LI4 | A big cat, Panthera leo, native to Africa, India and formerly much of Europe. |
| lo.. | LO4 | The part of the body (of humans and quadrupeds) at each side of the backbone, between the ribs and hips |
| lo.. | LO4 | An idler, a lout. |
| lo.... | LO6 | A low- to medium-viscosity topical preparation intended for application to unbroken skin. |
| no....... | NO9 | 10. |
| no...... | NO8 | Not part of a labor union; not unionized. |
| no.. | NO4 | The time of day when the sun is in its zenith; twelve o'clock in the day, midday. |
| no.... | NO6 | Mental apprehension of whatever may be known, thought, or imagined; idea, concept. |
| no.. | NO4 | A word that functions as the name of a specific object or set of objects, such as person, animal, place, thing, phenomenon, substance, quality, or idea; one of the basic parts of speech in many languages, including English. |
| nu.. | NU4 | A non-existent or empty value or set of values. |
| nu.... | NU6 | The ecclesiastic title of a permanent diplomatic representative of the Roman Catholic Church to a sovereign state or international organization, who is accorded a rank equivalent to an accredited ambassador, and may also be given additional privileges including recognition as Dean in a country's diplomatic corps. |
| oc....... | OC9 | A thousand trillion trillion, a billion billion billion: 1 followed by 27 zeros, 10. |
| on... | ON5 | A monocotyledonous plant (Allium cepa), allied to garlic, used as vegetable and spice. |
| on.. | ON4 | Upon; on top of. |
| ti... | TI5 | A tint or colour. |
| ti.. | TI4 | A slight coloring. |
| to... | TO5 | Pertaining to tension, especially of muscles. |
| to.. | TO4 | A cartoon, especially an animated television show. |
| tu..... | TU7 | A sum of money paid for instruction (such as in a high school, boarding school, university, or college). |
| tu... | TU5 | A garment worn over the torso, with or without sleeves, and of various lengths reaching from the hips to the ankles. |
| un.... | UN6 | To unwind or untwist (something). |
| un.... | UN6 | Not in accord with the current fashion, standards or mores of a particular group; not cool. |
| un..... | UN7 | A salve or ointment. |
| un... | UN5 | Not cut. |
| un... | UN5 | The act of uniting or joining two or more things into one. |
| un.. | UN4 | Oneness, singularity, seen as a component of a whole number; a magnitude of one. |
| un... | UN5 | Not lit |
| un... | UN5 | Up to the time of (something happening). |
| un.. | UN4 | Up to the time or degree that; until. |
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.
- linocut† (LI7)
- locution† (LO8)
- clinic (CL6)
- coconut (CO7)
- cocoon (CO6)
- coin (CO4)
- colon (CO5)
- colonic (CO7)
- concoct (CO7)
- concoction (CO10)
- conic (CO5)
- cotillion (CO9)
- cotton (CO6)
- council (CO7)
- count (CO5)
- icon (IC4)
- iconic (IC6)
- into (IN4)
- intuit (IN6)
- intuition (IN9)
- ionic (IO5)
- lint (LI4)
- lion (LI4)
- loin (LO4)
- loon (LO4)
- lotion (LO6)
- nonillion (NO9)
- nonunion (NO8)
- noon (NO4)
- notion (NO6)
- noun (NO4)
- null (NU4)
- nuncio (NU6)
- octillion (OC9)
- onion (ON5)
- onto (ON4)
- tinct (TI5)
- tint (TI4)
- tonic (TO5)
- toon (TO4)
- tuition (TU7)
- tunic (TU5)
- uncoil (UN6)
- uncool (UN6)
- unction (UN7)
- uncut (UN5)
- union (UN5)
- unit (UN4)
- unlit (UN5)
- until (UN5)
- unto (UN4)
Answer Definitions
- linocut† (noun): A type of woodcut in which a block of linoleum is used for the relief surface; the design cut into the block.
- locution† (noun): A phrase or expression connected to an individual or a group of individuals through repeated usage.
- clinic (noun): A medical facility, such as a hospital, especially one for the treatment and diagnosis of outpatients.
- coconut (noun): A fruit of the coconut palm (not a true nut), Cocos nucifera, having a fibrous husk surrounding a large seed.
- cocoon (noun): The silky protective case spun by the larvae of some insects in which they metamorphose, the pupa.
- coin (noun): A piece of currency, usually metallic and in the shape of a disc, but sometimes polygonal, or with a hole in the middle.
- colon (noun): The punctuation mark ":".
- colonic (adjective): Of, relating to, affecting or within the colon.
- concoct (verb): To prepare something by mixing various ingredients, especially to prepare food for cooking.
- concoction (noun): The preparing of a medicine, food or other substance out of many ingredients.
- conic (adjective): Synonym of conical
- cotillion (noun): A bold dance performed in groups of eight where women lift their skirts to display their ankles.
- cotton (noun): Gossypium, a genus of plant used as a source of cotton fiber.
- council (noun): A committee that leads or governs (e.g. city council, student council).
- count (verb): To recite numbers in sequence.
- icon (noun): An image, symbol, picture, or other representation usually as an object of religious devotion.
- iconic (adjective): Relating to, or having the characteristics of, an icon.
- into (preposition): To or towards the inside of.
- intuit (verb): To know intuitively or by immediate perception.
- intuition (noun): Immediate cognition without the use of conscious rational processes.
- ionic (adjective): of, relating to, or containing ions
- lint (noun): Clinging fuzzy fluff that clings to fabric or accumulates in one's pockets or navel etc.
- lion (noun): A big cat, Panthera leo, native to Africa, India and formerly much of Europe.
- loin (noun): The part of the body (of humans and quadrupeds) at each side of the backbone, between the ribs and hips
- loon (noun): An idler, a lout.
- lotion (noun): A low- to medium-viscosity topical preparation intended for application to unbroken skin.
- nonillion (numeral): 10.
- nonunion (adjective): Not part of a labor union; not unionized.
- noon (noun): The time of day when the sun is in its zenith; twelve o'clock in the day, midday.
- notion (noun): Mental apprehension of whatever may be known, thought, or imagined; idea, concept.
- noun (noun): A word that functions as the name of a specific object or set of objects, such as person, animal, place, thing, phenomenon, substance, quality, or idea; one of the basic parts of speech in many languages, including English.
- null (noun): A non-existent or empty value or set of values.
- nuncio (noun): The ecclesiastic title of a permanent diplomatic representative of the Roman Catholic Church to a sovereign state or international organization, who is accorded a rank equivalent to an accredited ambassador, and may also be given additional privileges including recognition as Dean in a country's diplomatic corps.
- octillion (numeral): A thousand trillion trillion, a billion billion billion: 1 followed by 27 zeros, 10.
- onion (noun): A monocotyledonous plant (Allium cepa), allied to garlic, used as vegetable and spice.
- onto (preposition): Upon; on top of.
- tinct (noun): A tint or colour.
- tint (noun): A slight coloring.
- tonic (adjective): Pertaining to tension, especially of muscles.
- toon (noun): A cartoon, especially an animated television show.
- tuition (noun): A sum of money paid for instruction (such as in a high school, boarding school, university, or college).
- tunic (noun): A garment worn over the torso, with or without sleeves, and of various lengths reaching from the hips to the ankles.
- uncoil (verb): To unwind or untwist (something).
- uncool (adjective): Not in accord with the current fashion, standards or mores of a particular group; not cool.
- unction (noun): A salve or ointment.
- uncut (adjective): Not cut.
- union (noun): The act of uniting or joining two or more things into one.
- unit (noun): Oneness, singularity, seen as a component of a whole number; a magnitude of one.
- unlit (adjective): Not lit
- until (preposition): Up to the time of (something happening).
- unto (conjunction): Up to the time or degree that; until.