NYT Spelling Bee Answers for September 23, 2025
Game Summary
| Center Letter | T |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | a, b, c, e, i, k |
| # of Pangrams | 2 (Perfect: 1) |
| Total Words | 37 words |
| Total Points | 158 points |
| Genius Level | 111 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 | Σ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | - | 6 |
| B | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
| C | 1 | 1 | - | - | 1 | 3 |
| E | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| I | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| K | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| T | 7 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 17 | Σ | 16 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 37 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| A | AB×2 AC×2 AT×2 |
|---|---|
| B | BA×5 BE×4 BI×1 |
| C | CA×1 CI×2 |
| E | |
| I | |
| K | KI×1 |
| T | TA×7 TE×3 TI×7 |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| A | ABA×1 ABE×1 ACE×2 ATT×2 |
|---|---|
| B | BAC×2 BAI×1 BAT×2 BEA×1 BEE×1 BET×2 BIT×1 |
| C | CAC×1 CIA×1 CIT×1 |
| E | |
| I | |
| K | KIT×1 |
| T | TAC×5 TAK×2 TEA×3 TIB×2 TIC×2 TIE×1 TIK×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) |
|---|---|---|
| ba...... † | BA8 | To make spiteful slanderous or defamatory statements about someone. |
| ti..... † | TI7 | A loop of cloth, cord, etc., which is placed around a curtain to hold it open to one side. |
| ab... | AB5 | To lessen (something) in force or intensity; to moderate. |
| ab.. | AB4 | To urge on, stimulate (a person to do) something desirable. |
| ac..... | AC7 | Any salt or ester of acetic acid. |
| ac.... | AC6 | Of, pertaining to, or producing vinegar |
| at.... | AT6 | An attempt to cause damage, injury to, or death of opponent or enemy. |
| at... | AT5 | The space, often unfinished and with sloped walls, directly below the roof in the uppermost part of a house or other building, generally used for storage or habitation. |
| ba..... | BA7 | simple past tense and past participle of backbite |
| ba.. | BA4 | Any substance, especially food, used in catching fish, or other animals, by alluring them to a hook, snare, trap, or net. |
| ba.. | BA4 | To reduce the force of something; to abate. |
| ba... | BA5 | A wax-resist method of dyeing fabric. |
| be.. | BE4 | A stroke; a blow. |
| be.. | BE4 | Beta vulgaris, a plant with a swollen root which is eaten or used to make sugar. |
| be.. | BE4 | The second letter of the Greek alphabet (Β, β), preceded by alpha (Α, α) and followed by gamma, (Γ, γ). In modern Greek it represents the voiced labiodental fricative sound of v found in the English words have and vase. |
| be.... | BE6 | To beteach. |
| bi.. | BI4 | To cut into something by clamping the teeth. |
| ca... | CA5 | plural of cactus |
| ci...... | CI8 | A broad, flat, white Italian bread. |
| ci.. | CI4 | to quote; to repeat, as a passage from a book, or the words of another. |
| ki.. | KI4 | A bird of prey of the family Accipitridae. |
| ta... | TA5 | An instruction indicating silence on the part of the performers of a piece. |
| ta... | TA5 | Implied, but not made explicit, especially through silence. |
| ta.. | TA4 | A small nail with a flat head. |
| ta.. | TA4 | The sense of touch; feeling. |
| ta.... | TA6 | A maneuver, or action calculated to achieve some end. |
| ta.. | TA4 | To get into one's hands, possession, or control, with or without force. |
| ta...... | TA8 | The act of taking back or reclaiming anything. |
| te..... | TE7 | A flat, round bread bun, usually containing currants, sultanas or peel and often served toasted and buttered with tea. |
| te.. | TE4 | An extremely durable timber highly valued for shipbuilding and other purposes, yielded by Tectona grandis (and Tectona spp.). |
| te.. | TE4 | The projection of a mammary gland from which, on female mammals, milk is secreted. |
| 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 | plural of tibia |
| ti.. | TI4 | A tiny woodland arachnid of the suborder Ixodida. |
| ti.... | TI6 | A pass entitling the holder to admission to a show, concert, etc. |
| ti.. | TI4 | Carved talisman in humanoid form, common to the cultures of the Pacific Ocean. |
| ti... | TI5 | A marinade made from various aromatic spices usually with a yoghurt base; often used in Indian cuisine prior to grilling in a tandoor. |
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.
- backbite† (BA8)
- tieback† (TI7)
- abate (AB5)
- abet (AB4)
- acetate (AC7)
- acetic (AC6)
- attack (AT6)
- attic (AT5)
- backbit (BA7)
- bait (BA4)
- bate (BA4)
- batik (BA5)
- beat (BE4)
- beet (BE4)
- beta (BE4)
- betake (BE6)
- bite (BI4)
- cacti (CA5)
- ciabatta (CI8)
- cite (CI4)
- kite (KI4)
- tacet (TA5)
- tacit (TA5)
- tack (TA4)
- tact (TA4)
- tactic (TA6)
- take (TA4)
- takeback (TA8)
- teacake (TE7)
- teak (TE4)
- teat (TE4)
- tibia (TI5)
- tibiae (TI6)
- tick (TI4)
- ticket (TI6)
- tiki (TI4)
- tikka (TI5)
Answer Definitions
- backbite† (verb): To make spiteful slanderous or defamatory statements about someone.
- tieback† (noun): A loop of cloth, cord, etc., which is placed around a curtain to hold it open to one side.
- abate (verb): To lessen (something) in force or intensity; to moderate.
- abet (verb): To urge on, stimulate (a person to do) something desirable.
- acetate (noun): Any salt or ester of acetic acid.
- acetic (adjective): Of, pertaining to, or producing vinegar
- attack (noun): An attempt to cause damage, injury to, or death of opponent or enemy.
- attic (noun): The space, often unfinished and with sloped walls, directly below the roof in the uppermost part of a house or other building, generally used for storage or habitation.
- backbit (verb): simple past tense and past participle of backbite
- bait (noun): Any substance, especially food, used in catching fish, or other animals, by alluring them to a hook, snare, trap, or net.
- bate (verb): To reduce the force of something; to abate.
- batik (noun): A wax-resist method of dyeing fabric.
- beat (noun): A stroke; a blow.
- beet (noun): Beta vulgaris, a plant with a swollen root which is eaten or used to make sugar.
- beta (noun): The second letter of the Greek alphabet (Β, β), preceded by alpha (Α, α) and followed by gamma, (Γ, γ). In modern Greek it represents the voiced labiodental fricative sound of v found in the English words have and vase.
- betake (verb): To beteach.
- bite (verb): To cut into something by clamping the teeth.
- cacti (noun): plural of cactus
- ciabatta (noun): A broad, flat, white Italian bread.
- cite (verb): to quote; to repeat, as a passage from a book, or the words of another.
- kite (noun): A bird of prey of the family Accipitridae.
- tacet (verb): An instruction indicating silence on the part of the performers of a piece.
- tacit (adjective): Implied, but not made explicit, especially through silence.
- tack (noun): A small nail with a flat head.
- tact (noun): The sense of touch; feeling.
- tactic (noun): A maneuver, or action calculated to achieve some end.
- take (verb): To get into one's hands, possession, or control, with or without force.
- takeback (noun): The act of taking back or reclaiming anything.
- teacake (noun): A flat, round bread bun, usually containing currants, sultanas or peel and often served toasted and buttered with tea.
- teak (noun): An extremely durable timber highly valued for shipbuilding and other purposes, yielded by Tectona grandis (and Tectona spp.).
- teat (noun): The projection of a mammary gland from which, on female mammals, milk is secreted.
- tibia (noun): The inner and usually the larger of the two bones of the leg or hind limb below the knee, the shinbone
- tibiae (noun): plural of tibia
- tick (noun): A tiny woodland arachnid of the suborder Ixodida.
- ticket (noun): A pass entitling the holder to admission to a show, concert, etc.
- tiki (noun): Carved talisman in humanoid form, common to the cultures of the Pacific Ocean.
- tikka (noun): A marinade made from various aromatic spices usually with a yoghurt base; often used in Indian cuisine prior to grilling in a tandoor.