NYT Spelling Bee Answers for December 18, 2025
Game Summary
| Center Letter | I |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | b, e, f, l, n, u |
| # of Pangrams | 2 (Perfect: 1) |
| Total Words | 34 words |
| Total Points | 148 points |
| Genius Level | 104 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 | Σ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | - | 10 |
| E | - | 2 | - | - | - | 2 |
| F | 5 | - | 1 | 1 | - | 7 |
| I | - | 1 | 1 | - | - | 2 |
| L | 4 | 2 | - | 1 | 1 | 8 |
| N | 1 | - | 3 | - | - | 4 |
| U | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | Σ | 14 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 34 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| B | BE×3 BI×4 BL×3 |
|---|---|
| E | EL×1 EN×1 |
| F | FE×1 FI×5 FU×1 |
| I | IN×2 |
| L | LI×8 |
| N | NI×2 NU×2 |
| U | UN×1 |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| B | BEE×1 BEL×2 BIB×1 BIF×1 BIL×2 BLI×2 BLU×1 |
|---|---|
| E | ELF×1 ENN×1 |
| F | FEL×1 FIE×1 FIF×1 FIL×2 FIN×1 FUL×1 |
| I | INF×1 INN×1 |
| L | LIB×2 LIE×2 LIF×2 LIN×2 |
| N | NIB×1 NIN×1 NUB×2 |
| U | UNB×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) |
|---|---|---|
| bl..... † | BL7 | bluefin tuna, any of a number of types of tuna characterised by their blue fins. |
| un...... † | UN8 | An absence (or rejection) of belief, especially religious belief |
| be..... | BE7 | A very direct or quick path or trip. |
| be... | BE5 | To lie around; encompass. |
| be.... | BE6 | Mental acceptance of a claim as true. |
| bi... | BI5 | Alternative letter-case form of Bible (“a specific version, edition, translation, or copy of the Christian religious text”) |
| bi.. | BI4 | A sudden, sharp blow or punch. |
| bi.. | BI4 | A bitter brownish-yellow or greenish-yellow secretion produced by the liver, stored in the gall bladder, and discharged into the duodenum where it aids the process of digestion. |
| bi.. | BI4 | Any of various bladed or pointed hand weapons, originally designating an Anglo-Saxon sword, and later a weapon of infantry, especially in the 14th and 15th centuries, commonly consisting of a broad, heavy, double-edged, hook-shaped blade, with a short pike at the back and another at the top, attached to the end of a long staff. |
| bl.. | BL4 | To cease (from); to stop; to desist, to let up. |
| bl... | BL5 | A small pancake, of Russian origin, made from buckwheat flour; traditionally served with melted butter, sour cream and caviar or smoked salmon. |
| el... | EL5 | An elf; an inhabitant of fairy-land. |
| en... | EN5 | A gripping listlessness or melancholia caused by boredom; depression. |
| fe.... | FE6 | Of or pertaining to cats. |
| fi.. | FI4 | An estate held by a person on condition of providing military service to a superior. |
| fi.. | FI4 | A small shrill pipe, resembling the piccolo flute, used chiefly to accompany the drum in military music |
| fi.. | FI4 | A collection of papers collated and archived together. |
| fi.. | FI4 | To occupy fully, to take up all of. |
| fi.. | FI4 | Senses referring to subjective quality. Of superior quality. |
| fu..... | FU7 | To satisfy, carry out, bring to completion (an obligation, a requirement, etc.). |
| in.... | IN6 | To fill in a space, hole or gap. |
| in... | IN5 | A navel that is formed of a hollow in the abdomen (as opposed to one that protrudes from the abdomen). |
| li... | LI5 | A written or pictorial false statement which unjustly seeks to damage someone's reputation. |
| li..... | LI7 | The party against which a libel (hostile handbill) has been filed by a libelant. |
| li.. | LI4 | A tendon. |
| li.. | LI4 | A place or stead; See in lieu or in lieu of |
| li.. | LI4 | The state of organisms preceding their death, characterized by biological processes such as metabolism and reproduction and distinguishing them from inanimate objects; the state of being alive and living. |
| li...... | LI8 | A line to which a drowning or falling victim may cling. |
| li.. | LI4 | A path through two or more points (compare ‘segment’); a continuous mark, including as made by a pen; any path, curved or straight. |
| li... | LI5 | Thread or cloth made from flax fiber. |
| ni.... | NI6 | A small, quick bite taken with the front teeth. |
| ni.. | NI4 | NATO & ICAO phonetic alphabet code for the numeral 9. |
| nu.... | NU6 | A stub, especially a stub of undeveloped corn or fruit or nipple. |
| nu.... | NU6 | Of an age suitable for marriage; marriageable (principally of a young woman). |
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.
- bluefin† (BL7)
- unbelief† (UN8)
- beeline (BE7)
- belie (BE5)
- belief (BE6)
- bible (BI5)
- biff (BI4)
- bile (BI4)
- bill (BI4)
- blin (BL4)
- blini (BL5)
- elfin (EL5)
- ennui (EN5)
- feline (FE6)
- fief (FI4)
- fife (FI4)
- file (FI4)
- fill (FI4)
- fine (FI4)
- fulfill (FU7)
- infill (IN6)
- innie (IN5)
- libel (LI5)
- libelee (LI7)
- lien (LI4)
- lieu (LI4)
- life (LI4)
- lifeline (LI8)
- line (LI4)
- linen (LI5)
- nibble (NI6)
- nine (NI4)
- nubbin (NU6)
- nubile (NU6)
Answer Definitions
- bluefin† (noun): bluefin tuna, any of a number of types of tuna characterised by their blue fins.
- unbelief† (noun): An absence (or rejection) of belief, especially religious belief
- beeline (noun): A very direct or quick path or trip.
- belie (verb): To lie around; encompass.
- belief (noun): Mental acceptance of a claim as true.
- bible (noun): Alternative letter-case form of Bible (“a specific version, edition, translation, or copy of the Christian religious text”)
- biff (noun): A sudden, sharp blow or punch.
- bile (noun): A bitter brownish-yellow or greenish-yellow secretion produced by the liver, stored in the gall bladder, and discharged into the duodenum where it aids the process of digestion.
- bill (noun): Any of various bladed or pointed hand weapons, originally designating an Anglo-Saxon sword, and later a weapon of infantry, especially in the 14th and 15th centuries, commonly consisting of a broad, heavy, double-edged, hook-shaped blade, with a short pike at the back and another at the top, attached to the end of a long staff.
- blin (verb): To cease (from); to stop; to desist, to let up.
- blini (noun): A small pancake, of Russian origin, made from buckwheat flour; traditionally served with melted butter, sour cream and caviar or smoked salmon.
- elfin (noun): An elf; an inhabitant of fairy-land.
- ennui (noun): A gripping listlessness or melancholia caused by boredom; depression.
- feline (adjective): Of or pertaining to cats.
- fief (noun): An estate held by a person on condition of providing military service to a superior.
- fife (noun): A small shrill pipe, resembling the piccolo flute, used chiefly to accompany the drum in military music
- file (noun): A collection of papers collated and archived together.
- fill (verb): To occupy fully, to take up all of.
- fine (adjective): Senses referring to subjective quality. Of superior quality.
- fulfill (verb): To satisfy, carry out, bring to completion (an obligation, a requirement, etc.).
- infill (verb): To fill in a space, hole or gap.
- innie (noun): A navel that is formed of a hollow in the abdomen (as opposed to one that protrudes from the abdomen).
- libel (noun): A written or pictorial false statement which unjustly seeks to damage someone's reputation.
- libelee (noun): The party against which a libel (hostile handbill) has been filed by a libelant.
- lien (noun): A tendon.
- lieu (noun): A place or stead; See in lieu or in lieu of
- life (noun): The state of organisms preceding their death, characterized by biological processes such as metabolism and reproduction and distinguishing them from inanimate objects; the state of being alive and living.
- lifeline (noun): A line to which a drowning or falling victim may cling.
- line (noun): A path through two or more points (compare ‘segment’); a continuous mark, including as made by a pen; any path, curved or straight.
- linen (noun): Thread or cloth made from flax fiber.
- nibble (noun): A small, quick bite taken with the front teeth.
- nine (numeral): NATO & ICAO phonetic alphabet code for the numeral 9.
- nubbin (noun): A stub, especially a stub of undeveloped corn or fruit or nipple.
- nubile (adjective): Of an age suitable for marriage; marriageable (principally of a young woman).