NYT Spelling Bee Answers for November 17, 2025
Game Summary
| Center Letter | N |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | c, g, i, r, u, v |
| # of Pangrams | 1 (Perfect: 1) |
| Total Words | 35 words |
| Total Points | 213 points |
| Genius Level | 149 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 | Σ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | - | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | - | 5 |
| G | 1 | - | 1 | 3 | 1 | - | 6 |
| I | - | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| N | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | 1 |
| R | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | - | - | 11 |
| U | - | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| V | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | 1 | Σ | 4 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 35 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| C | CR×1 CU×4 |
|---|---|
| G | GI×3 GR×2 GU×1 |
| I | IC×1 IN×6 |
| N | NI×1 |
| R | RI×5 RU×6 |
| U | UN×3 UR×1 |
| V | VI×1 |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| C | CRI×1 CUI×1 CUN×1 CUR×2 |
|---|---|
| G | GIG×1 GIN×1 GIV×1 GRI×2 GUN×1 |
| I | ICI×1 INC×2 INN×1 INU×3 |
| N | NIG×1 |
| R | RIC×2 RIG×1 RIN×2 RUI×3 RUN×3 |
| U | UNG×1 UNR×2 URG×1 |
| V | VIR×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) |
|---|---|---|
| cu..... † | CU7 | No definition found; request failed |
| cr...... | CR8 | present participle of cringe |
| cu... | CU5 | Alternative spelling of cueing |
| cu..... | CU7 | Sly; crafty; clever in surreptitious behaviour. |
| cu.... | CU6 | present participle of cure |
| gi..... | GI7 | gerund of gig (in various senses). The act of engaging in a musical performance, acting in a theatre production, etc. The practice of working at a job, especially one that is freelance or temporary, or done on an on-demand basis. The act of catching or fishing with a gig or fizgig. |
| gi..... | GI7 | present participle of gin |
| gi.... | GI6 | present participle of give |
| gr.. | GR4 | A smile in which the lips are parted to reveal the teeth. |
| gr...... | GR8 | present participle of grin |
| gu..... | GU7 | present participle of gun |
| 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. |
| in... | IN5 | to bring upon oneself or expose oneself to, especially something inconvenient, harmful, or onerous; to become liable or subject to |
| in....... | IN9 | present participle of incur |
| in.... | IN6 | A period of play in which members of a visiting baseball team attempt to hit a baseball pitched by the opposing home team until three players are called out, followed by a similar attempt by members of the home baseball team against the visiting team's pitching. There are nine or more innings in a regulation baseball game. |
| in..... | IN7 | present participle of inure |
| in... | IN5 | To place (the remains of a person who has died) in an urn or other container. |
| in...... | IN8 | present participle of inurn |
| ni.... | NI6 | Regular sushi: a piece of raw fish (or other topping) on top of a small oblong brick of sticky white rice. |
| ri... | RI5 | An extremely toxic lectin extracted from the castor bean. |
| ri.... | RI6 | present participle of rice |
| ri..... | RI7 | Dress; tackle; especially , the ropes, chains, etc., that support the masts and spars of a sailing vessel, and serve as purchases for adjusting the sails, etc. |
| ri.. | RI4 | A solid object in the shape of a circle. A circumscribing object, (roughly) circular and hollow, looking like an annual ring, earring, finger ring etc. |
| ri..... | RI7 | The sound of something that rings. |
| ru.. | RU4 | The remains of a destroyed or dilapidated construction, such as a house or castle. |
| ru... | RU5 | present participle of rue |
| ru..... | RU7 | present participle of ruin |
| ru.. | RU4 | A crosspiece forming a step of a ladder; a round. |
| ru... | RU5 | Of, pertaining to, or written using runes. |
| ru..... | RU7 | Present participle of run. |
| un...... | UN8 | Not giving; ungenerous. |
| un... | UN5 | To remove the rigging from (a vessel, etc.). |
| un....... | UN9 | present participle of unrig |
| ur.... | UR6 | present participle of urge |
| vi.... | VI6 | A person who has never had sexual intercourse, or an animal that has never mated. |
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.
- curving† (CU7)
- cringing (CR8)
- cuing (CU5)
- cunning (CU7)
- curing (CU6)
- gigging (GI7)
- ginning (GI7)
- giving (GI6)
- grin (GR4)
- grinning (GR8)
- gunning (GU7)
- icing (IC5)
- incur (IN5)
- incurring (IN9)
- inning (IN6)
- inuring (IN7)
- inurn (IN5)
- inurning (IN8)
- nigiri (NI6)
- ricin (RI5)
- ricing (RI6)
- rigging (RI7)
- ring (RI4)
- ringing (RI7)
- ruin (RU4)
- ruing (RU5)
- ruining (RU7)
- rung (RU4)
- runic (RU5)
- running (RU7)
- ungiving (UN8)
- unrig (UN5)
- unrigging (UN9)
- urging (UR6)
- virgin (VI6)
Answer Definitions
- curving† (n/a): No definition found; request failed
- cringing (verb): present participle of cringe
- cuing (verb): Alternative spelling of cueing
- cunning (adjective): Sly; crafty; clever in surreptitious behaviour.
- curing (verb): present participle of cure
- gigging (noun): gerund of gig (in various senses). The act of engaging in a musical performance, acting in a theatre production, etc. The practice of working at a job, especially one that is freelance or temporary, or done on an on-demand basis. The act of catching or fishing with a gig or fizgig.
- ginning (verb): present participle of gin
- giving (verb): present participle of give
- grin (noun): A smile in which the lips are parted to reveal the teeth.
- grinning (verb): present participle of grin
- gunning (verb): present participle of gun
- 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.
- incur (verb): to bring upon oneself or expose oneself to, especially something inconvenient, harmful, or onerous; to become liable or subject to
- incurring (verb): present participle of incur
- inning (noun): A period of play in which members of a visiting baseball team attempt to hit a baseball pitched by the opposing home team until three players are called out, followed by a similar attempt by members of the home baseball team against the visiting team's pitching. There are nine or more innings in a regulation baseball game.
- inuring (verb): present participle of inure
- inurn (verb): To place (the remains of a person who has died) in an urn or other container.
- inurning (verb): present participle of inurn
- nigiri (noun): Regular sushi: a piece of raw fish (or other topping) on top of a small oblong brick of sticky white rice.
- ricin (noun): An extremely toxic lectin extracted from the castor bean.
- ricing (verb): present participle of rice
- rigging (noun): Dress; tackle; especially , the ropes, chains, etc., that support the masts and spars of a sailing vessel, and serve as purchases for adjusting the sails, etc.
- ring (noun): A solid object in the shape of a circle. A circumscribing object, (roughly) circular and hollow, looking like an annual ring, earring, finger ring etc.
- ringing (noun): The sound of something that rings.
- ruin (noun): The remains of a destroyed or dilapidated construction, such as a house or castle.
- ruing (verb): present participle of rue
- ruining (verb): present participle of ruin
- rung (noun): A crosspiece forming a step of a ladder; a round.
- runic (adjective): Of, pertaining to, or written using runes.
- running (verb): Present participle of run.
- ungiving (adjective): Not giving; ungenerous.
- unrig (verb): To remove the rigging from (a vessel, etc.).
- unrigging (verb): present participle of unrig
- urging (verb): present participle of urge
- virgin (noun): A person who has never had sexual intercourse, or an animal that has never mated.