NYT Spelling Bee Answers for December 16, 2025

calendar Dec 16, 2025 · 13 min read · spelling bee  ·
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Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for December 16, 2025
Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for December 16, 2025

Game Summary

Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for December 16, 2025
Center LetterT
Outer Lettersa, h, n, o, r, w
# of Pangrams1 (Perfect: none)
Total Words69 words
Total Points296 points
Genius Level207 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 December 16, 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.

456789Σ
A-312-28
H31--1-5
N-1211-5
O2-1---3
R2112--6
T12771--27
W7322-115
Σ26161482369

Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints

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

A
AN×2
AO×1
AR×3
AT×2
H
HA×4
HO×1
N
NA×2
NO×3
O
OA×1
ON×1
OR×1
R
RA×3
RO×3
T
TA×8
TH×8
TO×9
TR×2
W
WA×6
WH×2
WO×5
WR×2

Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints

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

A
ANN×2
AOR×1
ARH×1
ARR×2
ATH×1
ATT×1
H
HAR×1
HAT×2
HAW×1
HOO×1
N
NAR×1
NAT×1
NON×1
NOR×1
NOT×1
O
OAT×1
ONT×1
ORA×1
R
RAN×1
RAT×2
ROO×1
ROT×2
T
TAN×2
TAR×5
TAT×1
THA×3
THO×1
THR×3
THW×1
TOO×3
TOR×5
TOW×1
TRO×2
W
WAN×2
WAR×3
WAT×1
WHA×2
WON×2
WOO×1
WOR×2
WRA×1
WRO×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)
ha...... †HA8Any of various shrubs and small trees of the genus Crataegus having small, apple-like fruits and thorny branches
an.....AN7A tropical American evergreen shrub, Bixa orellana; the lipstick tree; the fruit of the tree.
an.......AN9One who annotates.
ao...AO5The great artery which carries the blood from the heart to all parts of the body except the lungs; the main trunk of the arterial system.
ar...AR5One who has attained enlightenment; a Buddhist saint.
ar....AR6Complete; downright; utter.
ar.......AR9Maranta arundinacea from the Marantaceae family, a large perennial herb native to the Caribbean area with green leaves about 15 centimeters long.
at.....AT7From side to side, often in an oblique manner; across or over.
at...AT5An essential oil extracted from flowers.
ha..HA4A male deer, especially the male of the red deer after his fifth year.
ha..HA4third-person singular simple present indicative form of have
ha...HA5The fundamental form of yoga that focuses on asanas
ho..HO4A derisive cry or shout.
na......NA8One who narrates or tells stories.
na....NA6floating or swimming (in water)
no....NO6That which is not art
no...NO5One of the four major compass points, specifically 0°, directed toward the North Pole, and conventionally upwards on a map (or even, sometimes used instead of the relative directional term up), abbreviated as N.
no.....NO7One who notates; a writer of notation.
oa..OA4A solemn pledge or promise that invokes a deity, a ruler, or another entity (not necessarily present) to attest the truth of a statement or sincerity of one's desire to fulfill a contract or promise.
on..ON4Upon; on top of.
or....OR6Someone who orates or delivers an oration.
ra..RA4To speak or shout at length in uncontrollable anger.
ra.....RA7A swiftly repeated knocking sound.
ra....RA6Any of several species of climbing palm of the genus Calamus.
ro..RO4The part of a plant, generally underground, that anchors and supports the plant body, absorbs and stores water and nutrients, and in some plants is able to perform vegetative reproduction.
ro.....RO7One who or that which rotates.
ro...RO5A rotating part of a mechanical device; for example, in an electric motor, generator, alternator, or pump.
ta.....TA7a flourish on a trumpet
ta....TA6A Hindu or Buddhist religious or esoteric text.
ta..TA4Colocasia esculenta, raised as a food primarily for its corm, which distantly resembles potato.
ta...TA5A card game played in various different variations.
ta..TA4Sharp to the taste; acid; sour.
ta....TA6A kind of woven woollen cloth with a distinctive pattern of coloured stripes intersecting at right angles, associated with Scottish Highlanders, different clans and some Scottish families and institutions having their own distinctive patterns.
ta....TA6A red compound deposited during wine making; mostly potassium hydrogen tartrate — a source of cream of tartar.
ta....TA6An image made in the skin with ink and a needle.
th..TH4Used in comparisons, to introduce the basis of comparison.
th..TH4Introducing a clause which is the subject or object of a verb (such as one involving reported speech), or which is a complement to a previous statement.
th..TH4To gradually melt, dissolve, or become fluid; to soften from frozen
th...TH5A sharp protective spine of a plant.
th....TH6The front part of the neck.
th...TH5To hurl; to cause an object to move rapidly through the air.
th....TH6past participle of throw
th....TH6Placed or situated across something else; cross, oblique, transverse.
to..TO4A cartoon, especially an animated television show.
to..TO4The noise of a horn or whistle.
to...TO5A hard, calcareous structure present in the mouth of many vertebrate animals, generally used for eating.
to...TO5the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible
to..TO4past participle of tear (rip, rend, speed).
to..TO4A traditional Japanese lantern.
to..TO4An injury or wrong.
to...TO5A sandwich, served either hot or cold, on an oblong white sandwich roll, derived from Mexican cuisine.
to..TO4A settlement; an area with residential districts, shops and amenities, and its own local government; especially one larger than a village and smaller than a city, historically enclosed by a fence or walls, with total populations ranging from several hundred to more than a hundred thousand (as of the early 21st century)
tr..TR4An ugly old woman, a hag.
tr...TR5An oath, pledge, or promise. A pledge or promise to marry someone. The state of being thus pledged; betrothal, engagement.
wa..WA4To wish for or desire (something); to feel a need or desire for; to crave or demand.
wa....WA6Undisciplined, unruly; not able to be controlled.
wa.....WA7Authorization or certification; a sanction, as given by a superior.
wa.......WA9One making a warrant to the benefit of a warrantee.
wa..WA4A type of deformed growth occurring on the skin caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV).
wa..WA4In the International System of Units, the derived unit of power; the power of a system in which one joule of energy is transferred per second. Symbol: W
wh..WH4Which, especially which of an open-ended set of possibilities.
wh.....WH7A small unspecified object; bric-a-brac (in plural)
wo..WO4One's habitual way of doing things; custom, habit, practice.
wo....WO6A Chinese dumpling, often stuffed with varieties of meat or seafood and vegetables.
wo..WO4Alternative form of w00t
wo..WO4A plant; herb; vegetable.
wo...WO5Having a value of; proper to be exchanged for.
wr...WR5Great anger.
wr...WR5Full of anger; wrathful.

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.

  • hawthorn†  (HA8)
  • annatto  (AN7)
  • annotator  (AN9)
  • aorta  (AO5)
  • arhat  (AR5)
  • arrant  (AR6)
  • arrowroot  (AR9)
  • athwart  (AT7)
  • attar  (AT5)
  • hart  (HA4)
  • hath  (HA4)
  • hatha  (HA5)
  • hoot  (HO4)
  • narrator  (NA8)
  • natant  (NA6)
  • nonart  (NO6)
  • north  (NO5)
  • notator  (NO7)
  • oath  (OA4)
  • onto  (ON4)
  • orator  (OR6)
  • rant  (RA4)
  • ratatat  (RA7)
  • rattan  (RA6)
  • root  (RO4)
  • rotator  (RO7)
  • rotor  (RO5)
  • tantara  (TA7)
  • tantra  (TA6)
  • taro  (TA4)
  • tarot  (TA5)
  • tart  (TA4)
  • tartan  (TA6)
  • tartar  (TA6)
  • tattoo  (TA6)
  • than  (TH4)
  • that  (TH4)
  • thaw  (TH4)
  • thorn  (TH5)
  • throat  (TH6)
  • throw  (TH5)
  • thrown  (TH6)
  • thwart  (TH6)
  • toon  (TO4)
  • toot  (TO4)
  • tooth  (TO5)
  • torah  (TO5)
  • torn  (TO4)
  • toro  (TO4)
  • tort  (TO4)
  • torta  (TO5)
  • town  (TO4)
  • trot  (TR4)
  • troth  (TR5)
  • want  (WA4)
  • wanton  (WA6)
  • warrant  (WA7)
  • warrantor  (WA9)
  • wart  (WA4)
  • watt  (WA4)
  • what  (WH4)
  • whatnot  (WH7)
  • wont  (WO4)
  • wonton  (WO6)
  • woot  (WO4)
  • wort  (WO4)
  • worth  (WO5)
  • wrath  (WR5)
  • wroth  (WR5)

Answer Definitions

  • hawthorn† (noun): Any of various shrubs and small trees of the genus Crataegus having small, apple-like fruits and thorny branches
  • annatto (noun): A tropical American evergreen shrub, Bixa orellana; the lipstick tree; the fruit of the tree.
  • annotator (noun): One who annotates.
  • aorta (noun): The great artery which carries the blood from the heart to all parts of the body except the lungs; the main trunk of the arterial system.
  • arhat (noun): One who has attained enlightenment; a Buddhist saint.
  • arrant (adjective): Complete; downright; utter.
  • arrowroot (noun): Maranta arundinacea from the Marantaceae family, a large perennial herb native to the Caribbean area with green leaves about 15 centimeters long.
  • athwart (adverb): From side to side, often in an oblique manner; across or over.
  • attar (noun): An essential oil extracted from flowers.
  • hart (noun): A male deer, especially the male of the red deer after his fifth year.
  • hath (verb): third-person singular simple present indicative form of have
  • hatha (noun): The fundamental form of yoga that focuses on asanas
  • hoot (noun): A derisive cry or shout.
  • narrator (noun): One who narrates or tells stories.
  • natant (adjective): floating or swimming (in water)
  • nonart (noun): That which is not art
  • north (noun): One of the four major compass points, specifically 0°, directed toward the North Pole, and conventionally upwards on a map (or even, sometimes used instead of the relative directional term up), abbreviated as N.
  • notator (noun): One who notates; a writer of notation.
  • oath (noun): A solemn pledge or promise that invokes a deity, a ruler, or another entity (not necessarily present) to attest the truth of a statement or sincerity of one's desire to fulfill a contract or promise.
  • onto (preposition): Upon; on top of.
  • orator (noun): Someone who orates or delivers an oration.
  • rant (verb): To speak or shout at length in uncontrollable anger.
  • ratatat (noun): A swiftly repeated knocking sound.
  • rattan (noun): Any of several species of climbing palm of the genus Calamus.
  • root (noun): The part of a plant, generally underground, that anchors and supports the plant body, absorbs and stores water and nutrients, and in some plants is able to perform vegetative reproduction.
  • rotator (noun): One who or that which rotates.
  • rotor (noun): A rotating part of a mechanical device; for example, in an electric motor, generator, alternator, or pump.
  • tantara (noun): a flourish on a trumpet
  • tantra (noun): A Hindu or Buddhist religious or esoteric text.
  • taro (noun): Colocasia esculenta, raised as a food primarily for its corm, which distantly resembles potato.
  • tarot (noun): A card game played in various different variations.
  • tart (adjective): Sharp to the taste; acid; sour.
  • tartan (noun): A kind of woven woollen cloth with a distinctive pattern of coloured stripes intersecting at right angles, associated with Scottish Highlanders, different clans and some Scottish families and institutions having their own distinctive patterns.
  • tartar (noun): A red compound deposited during wine making; mostly potassium hydrogen tartrate — a source of cream of tartar.
  • tattoo (noun): An image made in the skin with ink and a needle.
  • than (conjunction): Used in comparisons, to introduce the basis of comparison.
  • that (conjunction): Introducing a clause which is the subject or object of a verb (such as one involving reported speech), or which is a complement to a previous statement.
  • thaw (verb): To gradually melt, dissolve, or become fluid; to soften from frozen
  • thorn (noun): A sharp protective spine of a plant.
  • throat (noun): The front part of the neck.
  • throw (verb): To hurl; to cause an object to move rapidly through the air.
  • thrown (verb): past participle of throw
  • thwart (adjective): Placed or situated across something else; cross, oblique, transverse.
  • toon (noun): A cartoon, especially an animated television show.
  • toot (noun): The noise of a horn or whistle.
  • tooth (noun): A hard, calcareous structure present in the mouth of many vertebrate animals, generally used for eating.
  • torah (noun): the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible
  • torn (verb): past participle of tear (rip, rend, speed).
  • toro (noun): A traditional Japanese lantern.
  • tort (noun): An injury or wrong.
  • torta (noun): A sandwich, served either hot or cold, on an oblong white sandwich roll, derived from Mexican cuisine.
  • town (noun): A settlement; an area with residential districts, shops and amenities, and its own local government; especially one larger than a village and smaller than a city, historically enclosed by a fence or walls, with total populations ranging from several hundred to more than a hundred thousand (as of the early 21st century)
  • trot (noun): An ugly old woman, a hag.
  • troth (noun): An oath, pledge, or promise. A pledge or promise to marry someone. The state of being thus pledged; betrothal, engagement.
  • want (verb): To wish for or desire (something); to feel a need or desire for; to crave or demand.
  • wanton (adjective): Undisciplined, unruly; not able to be controlled.
  • warrant (noun): Authorization or certification; a sanction, as given by a superior.
  • warrantor (noun): One making a warrant to the benefit of a warrantee.
  • wart (noun): A type of deformed growth occurring on the skin caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV).
  • watt (noun): In the International System of Units, the derived unit of power; the power of a system in which one joule of energy is transferred per second. Symbol: W
  • what (determiner): Which, especially which of an open-ended set of possibilities.
  • whatnot (noun): A small unspecified object; bric-a-brac (in plural)
  • wont (noun): One's habitual way of doing things; custom, habit, practice.
  • wonton (noun): A Chinese dumpling, often stuffed with varieties of meat or seafood and vegetables.
  • woot (interjection): Alternative form of w00t
  • wort (noun): A plant; herb; vegetable.
  • worth (adjective): Having a value of; proper to be exchanged for.
  • wrath (noun): Great anger.
  • wroth (adjective): Full of anger; wrathful.