NYT Spelling Bee Answers for October 4, 2025

Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for October 4, 2025

Game Summary

Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for October 4, 2025
Center LetterH
Outer Lettersa, c, d, e, i, n
# of Pangrams4 (Perfect: 2)
Total Words50 words
Total Points277 points
Genius Level194 points
Bingo?Yes

Table of Contents

As you scroll down this page, the clues get progressively more revealing. So scroll slowly!

  1. Spelling Bee Grid
  2. Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
  3. Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
  4. Extra Letter Hints (Incrementally Revealing) 🤯
  5. Today's Complete Solution
  6. Answer Definitions

If you're just here for a list of NYT Spelling Bee answers, Jump down to the answers ↓ (Spoiler Alert!).

Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for October 4, 2025

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.

45678910Σ
A12-----3
C5644---19
D-1--1-13
E1--312-7
H52512--15
I1-1----2
N-1-----1
Σ131210842150

Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints

The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.

A
AC×2
AH×1
C
CA×2
CH×15
CI×2
D
DA×1
DE×2
E
EA×1
EC×2
EN×4
H
HA×3
HE×9
HI×3
I
IN×2
N
NI×1

Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints

The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.

A
ACH×2
AHE×1
C
CAC×2
CHA×6
CHI×9
CIN×2
D
DAC×1
DEA×2
E
EAC×1
ECH×2
ENC×2
ENH×2
H
HAC×1
HAN×2
HEA×3
HEE×2
HEI×1
HEN×3
HID×2
HIN×1
I
INC×2
N
NIC×1

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 ().

Word2L RefDefinition (click to reveal)
ch..... CH7simple past and past participle of chain
ec..... EC7Any of the species of small spined monotremes in the family Tachyglossidae, the four extant species of which are found in Australia and southern New Guinea.
en....... EN9Linked together; forming a chain or interrelated sequence.
ha...... HA8A large homestead in a ranch or estate, usually in places where Colonial Spanish culture has had architectural influence.
ac..AC4To suffer pain; to be the source of, or be in, pain, especially continued dull pain; to be distressed.
ac...AC5simple past tense and past participle of ache
ah...AH5At or towards the front; in the direction one is facing or moving.
ca...CA5A store of things that may be required in the future, which can be retrieved rapidly, protected or hidden in some way.
ca....CA6simple past tense and past participle of cache
ch..CH4Small pieces of paper punched out from the edges of continuous stationery, or from ballot papers, paper tape, punched cards, etc.
ch..CH4A female gypsy.
ch...CH5A series of interconnected rings or links usually made of metal.
ch....CH6An opportunity or possibility.
ch.....CH7simple past tense and past participle of chance
ch..CH4A Mexican sage grown for its edible seeds, Salvia hispanica.
ch..CH4Elegant, stylish.
ch...CH5A Latin-American girl; a Latina.
ch....CH6Affectedly trendy; chic and stylish in a pretentious way.
ch...CH5To admonish in blame; to reproach angrily.
ch....CH6simple past tense and past participle of chide
ch..CH4The bottom of a face, the typically jutting jawline below the mouth.
ch...CH5Synonym of porcelain, a hard white translucent ceramic made from kaolin, now sometimes distinguished in reference to tableware as fine or good china.
ch.....CH7simple past and past participle of chin
ci...CI5A simple saddle girth used in Mexico.
ci.....CI7simple past and past participle of cinch
da...DA5A Russian villa or summer house in the countryside.
de......DE8A person either admitted to a theatrical or musical performance without charge, or paid to attend.
de........DE10simple past tense and past participle of deadhead
ea..EA4All; every; qualifying a singular noun, indicating all examples of the thing so named seen as individual or separate items (compare every).
ec.......EC9Any of several plants, of genus Echinacea, having pinkish-purple flowers.
en.....EN7To restrain with, or as if with, chains.
en.....EN7To lift, raise up.
en......EN8In a version or form that has been improved or made better than some other standard form.
ha..HA4The part of the forelimb below the forearm or wrist in a human, and the corresponding part in many other animals.
ha....HA6Having a certain kind or number of hands.
he..HE4The part of the body of an animal or human which contains the brain, mouth, and main sense organs.
he......HE8A pain or ache in the head.
he....HE6Of a sheet of paper: having the sender's name, address, etc. preprinted at the top.
he..HE4Careful attention.
he....HE6simple past tense and past participle of heed
he....HE6The buttocks.
he...HE5from here, from this place, away
he...HE5A shrub, Lawsonia inermis, having fragrant reddish flowers
he.....HE7Dyed with henna.
hi....HI6past participle of hide
hi..HI4To put (something) in a place where it will be harder to discover or out of sight.
hi..HI4Located at the rear (most often said of animals' body parts).
in..IN4A unit of length equal to one twelfth of a foot, or exactly 2.54 centimetres.
in....IN6simple past and past participle of inch
ni...NI5A cavity, hollow, or recess, generally within the thickness of a wall, for a statue, bust, or other erect ornament.

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.

  • chained  (CH7)
  • echidna  (EC7)
  • enchained  (EN9)
  • hacienda  (HA8)
  • ache  (AC4)
  • ached  (AC5)
  • ahead  (AH5)
  • cache  (CA5)
  • cached  (CA6)
  • chad  (CH4)
  • chai  (CH4)
  • chain  (CH5)
  • chance  (CH6)
  • chanced  (CH7)
  • chia  (CH4)
  • chic  (CH4)
  • chica  (CH5)
  • chichi  (CH6)
  • chide  (CH5)
  • chided  (CH6)
  • chin  (CH4)
  • china  (CH5)
  • chinned  (CH7)
  • cinch  (CI5)
  • cinched  (CI7)
  • dacha  (DA5)
  • deadhead  (DE8)
  • deadheaded  (DE10)
  • each  (EA4)
  • echinacea  (EC9)
  • enchain  (EN7)
  • enhance  (EN7)
  • enhanced  (EN8)
  • hand  (HA4)
  • handed  (HA6)
  • head  (HE4)
  • headache  (HE8)
  • headed  (HE6)
  • heed  (HE4)
  • heeded  (HE6)
  • heinie  (HE6)
  • hence  (HE5)
  • henna  (HE5)
  • hennaed  (HE7)
  • hidden  (HI6)
  • hide  (HI4)
  • hind  (HI4)
  • inch  (IN4)
  • inched  (IN6)
  • niche  (NI5)

Answer Definitions

  • chained (verb): simple past and past participle of chain
  • echidna (noun): Any of the species of small spined monotremes in the family Tachyglossidae, the four extant species of which are found in Australia and southern New Guinea.
  • enchained (adjective): Linked together; forming a chain or interrelated sequence.
  • hacienda (noun): A large homestead in a ranch or estate, usually in places where Colonial Spanish culture has had architectural influence.
  • ache (verb): To suffer pain; to be the source of, or be in, pain, especially continued dull pain; to be distressed.
  • ached (verb): simple past tense and past participle of ache
  • ahead (adverb): At or towards the front; in the direction one is facing or moving.
  • cache (noun): A store of things that may be required in the future, which can be retrieved rapidly, protected or hidden in some way.
  • cached (verb): simple past tense and past participle of cache
  • chad (noun): Small pieces of paper punched out from the edges of continuous stationery, or from ballot papers, paper tape, punched cards, etc.
  • chai (noun): A female gypsy.
  • chain (noun): A series of interconnected rings or links usually made of metal.
  • chance (noun): An opportunity or possibility.
  • chanced (verb): simple past tense and past participle of chance
  • chia (noun): A Mexican sage grown for its edible seeds, Salvia hispanica.
  • chic (adjective): Elegant, stylish.
  • chica (noun): A Latin-American girl; a Latina.
  • chichi (adjective): Affectedly trendy; chic and stylish in a pretentious way.
  • chide (verb): To admonish in blame; to reproach angrily.
  • chided (verb): simple past tense and past participle of chide
  • chin (noun): The bottom of a face, the typically jutting jawline below the mouth.
  • china (noun): Synonym of porcelain, a hard white translucent ceramic made from kaolin, now sometimes distinguished in reference to tableware as fine or good china.
  • chinned (verb): simple past and past participle of chin
  • cinch (noun): A simple saddle girth used in Mexico.
  • cinched (verb): simple past and past participle of cinch
  • dacha (noun): A Russian villa or summer house in the countryside.
  • deadhead (noun): A person either admitted to a theatrical or musical performance without charge, or paid to attend.
  • deadheaded (verb): simple past tense and past participle of deadhead
  • each (determiner): All; every; qualifying a singular noun, indicating all examples of the thing so named seen as individual or separate items (compare every).
  • echinacea (noun): Any of several plants, of genus Echinacea, having pinkish-purple flowers.
  • enchain (verb): To restrain with, or as if with, chains.
  • enhance (verb): To lift, raise up.
  • enhanced (adjective): In a version or form that has been improved or made better than some other standard form.
  • hand (noun): The part of the forelimb below the forearm or wrist in a human, and the corresponding part in many other animals.
  • handed (adjective): Having a certain kind or number of hands.
  • head (noun): The part of the body of an animal or human which contains the brain, mouth, and main sense organs.
  • headache (noun): A pain or ache in the head.
  • headed (adjective): Of a sheet of paper: having the sender's name, address, etc. preprinted at the top.
  • heed (noun): Careful attention.
  • heeded (verb): simple past tense and past participle of heed
  • heinie (noun): The buttocks.
  • hence (adverb): from here, from this place, away
  • henna (noun): A shrub, Lawsonia inermis, having fragrant reddish flowers
  • hennaed (adjective): Dyed with henna.
  • hidden (verb): past participle of hide
  • hide (verb): To put (something) in a place where it will be harder to discover or out of sight.
  • hind (adjective): Located at the rear (most often said of animals' body parts).
  • inch (noun): A unit of length equal to one twelfth of a foot, or exactly 2.54 centimetres.
  • inched (verb): simple past and past participle of inch
  • niche (noun): A cavity, hollow, or recess, generally within the thickness of a wall, for a statue, bust, or other erect ornament.