NYT Spelling Bee Answers for November 4, 2025

Game Summary

| Center Letter | U |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | a, c, e, f, l, t |
| # of Pangrams | 2 (Perfect: none) |
| Total Words | 42 words |
| Total Points | 196 points |
| Genius Level | 137 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 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | 3 |
| C | 6 | - | 2 | 1 | - | 1 | - | 10 |
| E | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| F | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | - | 1 | - | 11 |
| L | 5 | - | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | 7 |
| T | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | - | - | - | 8 |
| U | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | 1 | Σ | 17 | 6 | 7 | 8 | - | 3 | 1 | 42 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| A | AC×3 |
|---|---|
| C | CA×2 CE×1 CL×1 CU×6 |
| E | EF×2 |
| F | FA×4 FL×5 FU×2 |
| L | LE×1 LU×6 |
| T | TA×3 TU×5 |
| U | UL×1 |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| A | ACT×2 ACU×1 |
|---|---|
| C | CAL×1 CAU×1 CEL×1 CLU×1 CUF×1 CUL×2 CUT×3 |
| E | EFF×2 |
| F | FAC×1 FAT×1 FAU×2 FLA×1 FLU×4 FUE×1 FUL×1 |
| L | LET×1 LUA×1 LUF×1 LUL×2 LUT×2 |
| T | TAC×2 TAU×1 TUF×2 TUL×1 TUT×2 |
| U | ULU×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 (†).
| Word | 2L Ref | Definition (click to reveal) |
|---|---|---|
| ef....... † | EF9 | Producing the intended result; entirely adequate. |
| fl....... † | FL9 | To vary irregularly; to swing. |
| ac.... | AC6 | relating to a person's acts or deeds; active, practical |
| ac..... | AC7 | To activate, or to put into motion; to animate. |
| ac... | AC5 | Brief, quick, short. |
| ca....... | CA9 | To determine the value of something or the solution to something by a mathematical process. |
| ca.. | CA4 | A style of close-fitting circular cap worn by women in the sixteenth century and later, often made of linen. |
| ce..... | CE7 | A small cell. |
| cl.. | CL4 | A strand of yarn etc. as used to guide one through a labyrinth; something which points the way, a guide. |
| cu.. | CU4 | glove; mitten |
| cu.. | CU4 | To pick or take someone or something (from a larger group). |
| cu.. | CU4 | A group, sect or movement following an unorthodox religious or philosophical system of beliefs, especially one in which members remove and exclude themselves from greater society, including family members not part of the cult, and show extreme devotion to a charismatic leader. |
| cu.. | CU4 | Possessing physical features, behaviors, personality traits or other properties that are mainly attributed to infants and small or cuddly animals; e.g. fair, dainty, round, and soft physical features, disproportionately large eyes and head, playfulness, fragility, helplessness, curiosity or shyness, innocence, affectionate behavior. |
| cu.... | CU6 | A thin slice of meat, usually fried. |
| cu.... | CU6 | Synonym of cuttlefish |
| ef........ | EF10 | To cause, bring about (an event); to accomplish, to carry out (a wish, plan etc.). |
| fa..... | FA7 | Pertaining to or consisting of objective claims. |
| fa..... | FA7 | Momentous, significant, setting or sealing one’s fate. |
| fa.... | FA6 | An exposed plumbing fitting; a tap or spigot; a regulator for controlling the flow of a liquid from a reservoir. |
| fa... | FA5 | A defect; something that detracts from perfection. |
| fl.... | FL6 | A type of fried cylindrical tortilla or taco. |
| fl.. | FL4 | A pipe or duct that carries gaseous combustion products away from the point of combustion (such as a furnace). |
| fl... | FL5 | Anything light, soft or fuzzy, especially fur, hair, feathers. |
| fl... | FL5 | A woodwind instrument consisting of a tube with a row of holes that produce sound through vibrations caused by air blown across the edge of the holes, often tuned by plugging one or more holes with a finger; the Western concert flute, a transverse side-blown flute of European origin. |
| fu.. | FU4 | Substance consumed to provide energy through combustion, or through chemical or nuclear reaction. |
| fu.. | FU4 | Containing the maximum possible amount that can fit in the space available. |
| le..... | LE7 | An edible plant, Lactuca sativa and its close relatives, having a head of green and/or purple leaves. |
| lu.. | LU4 | An elaborate Hawaiian feast featuring traditional foods and entertainment. |
| lu.. | LU4 | The vertical edge of a sail that is closest to the direction of the wind. |
| lu.. | LU4 | A period of rest or soothing. |
| lu.. | LU4 | A remarkable person, object or idea. |
| lu.. | LU4 | A fretted stringed instrument of European origin, similar to the guitar, having a bowl-shaped body or soundbox; any of a wide variety of chordophones with a pear-shaped body and a neck whose upper surface is in the same plane as the soundboard, with strings along the neck and parallel to the soundboard. |
| lu.... | LU6 | Of or pertaining to the corpus luteum |
| ta..... | TA7 | Possessing tact; able to deal with people in a sensitive manner. |
| ta..... | TA7 | Of, or relating to the sense of touch. |
| ta.. | TA4 | Under tension, like a stretched bowstring, rope, or sail; tight. |
| tu.... | TU6 | A clump of grass or similar vegetation; a small grass-covered mound. |
| tu.. | TU4 | A bunch of feathers, grass or hair, etc., held together at the base. |
| tu... | TU5 | A kind of silk lace or light netting, used for clothing, veils, etc. |
| tu... | TU5 | A student of a tutor. |
| tu.. | TU4 | A ballet skirt made of layered stiff but light netting. |
| ul..... | UL7 | to howl loudly or prolongedly in lamentation or joy |
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.
- effectual† (EF9)
- fluctuate† (FL9)
- actual (AC6)
- actuate (AC7)
- acute (AC5)
- calculate (CA9)
- caul (CA4)
- cellule (CE7)
- clue (CL4)
- cuff (CU4)
- cull (CU4)
- cult (CU4)
- cute (CU4)
- cutlet (CU6)
- cuttle (CU6)
- effectuate (EF10)
- factual (FA7)
- fateful (FA7)
- faucet (FA6)
- fault (FA5)
- flauta (FL6)
- flue (FL4)
- fluff (FL5)
- flute (FL5)
- fuel (FU4)
- full (FU4)
- lettuce (LE7)
- luau (LU4)
- luff (LU4)
- lull (LU4)
- lulu (LU4)
- lute (LU4)
- luteal (LU6)
- tactful (TA7)
- tactual (TA7)
- taut (TA4)
- tuffet (TU6)
- tuft (TU4)
- tulle (TU5)
- tutee (TU5)
- tutu (TU4)
- ululate (UL7)
Answer Definitions
- effectual† (adjective): Producing the intended result; entirely adequate.
- fluctuate† (verb): To vary irregularly; to swing.
- actual (adjective): relating to a person's acts or deeds; active, practical
- actuate (verb): To activate, or to put into motion; to animate.
- acute (adjective): Brief, quick, short.
- calculate (verb): To determine the value of something or the solution to something by a mathematical process.
- caul (noun): A style of close-fitting circular cap worn by women in the sixteenth century and later, often made of linen.
- cellule (noun): A small cell.
- clue (noun): A strand of yarn etc. as used to guide one through a labyrinth; something which points the way, a guide.
- cuff (noun): glove; mitten
- cull (verb): To pick or take someone or something (from a larger group).
- cult (noun): A group, sect or movement following an unorthodox religious or philosophical system of beliefs, especially one in which members remove and exclude themselves from greater society, including family members not part of the cult, and show extreme devotion to a charismatic leader.
- cute (adjective): Possessing physical features, behaviors, personality traits or other properties that are mainly attributed to infants and small or cuddly animals; e.g. fair, dainty, round, and soft physical features, disproportionately large eyes and head, playfulness, fragility, helplessness, curiosity or shyness, innocence, affectionate behavior.
- cutlet (noun): A thin slice of meat, usually fried.
- cuttle (noun): Synonym of cuttlefish
- effectuate (verb): To cause, bring about (an event); to accomplish, to carry out (a wish, plan etc.).
- factual (adjective): Pertaining to or consisting of objective claims.
- fateful (adjective): Momentous, significant, setting or sealing one’s fate.
- faucet (noun): An exposed plumbing fitting; a tap or spigot; a regulator for controlling the flow of a liquid from a reservoir.
- fault (noun): A defect; something that detracts from perfection.
- flauta (noun): A type of fried cylindrical tortilla or taco.
- flue (noun): A pipe or duct that carries gaseous combustion products away from the point of combustion (such as a furnace).
- fluff (noun): Anything light, soft or fuzzy, especially fur, hair, feathers.
- flute (noun): A woodwind instrument consisting of a tube with a row of holes that produce sound through vibrations caused by air blown across the edge of the holes, often tuned by plugging one or more holes with a finger; the Western concert flute, a transverse side-blown flute of European origin.
- fuel (noun): Substance consumed to provide energy through combustion, or through chemical or nuclear reaction.
- full (adjective): Containing the maximum possible amount that can fit in the space available.
- lettuce (noun): An edible plant, Lactuca sativa and its close relatives, having a head of green and/or purple leaves.
- luau (noun): An elaborate Hawaiian feast featuring traditional foods and entertainment.
- luff (noun): The vertical edge of a sail that is closest to the direction of the wind.
- lull (noun): A period of rest or soothing.
- lulu (noun): A remarkable person, object or idea.
- lute (noun): A fretted stringed instrument of European origin, similar to the guitar, having a bowl-shaped body or soundbox; any of a wide variety of chordophones with a pear-shaped body and a neck whose upper surface is in the same plane as the soundboard, with strings along the neck and parallel to the soundboard.
- luteal (adjective): Of or pertaining to the corpus luteum
- tactful (adjective): Possessing tact; able to deal with people in a sensitive manner.
- tactual (adjective): Of, or relating to the sense of touch.
- taut (adjective): Under tension, like a stretched bowstring, rope, or sail; tight.
- tuffet (noun): A clump of grass or similar vegetation; a small grass-covered mound.
- tuft (noun): A bunch of feathers, grass or hair, etc., held together at the base.
- tulle (noun): A kind of silk lace or light netting, used for clothing, veils, etc.
- tutee (noun): A student of a tutor.
- tutu (noun): A ballet skirt made of layered stiff but light netting.
- ululate (verb): to howl loudly or prolongedly in lamentation or joy