NYT Spelling Bee Answers for February 28, 2026
Game Summary
| Center Letter | I |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | d, e, h, k, l, o |
| # of Pangrams | 1 (Perfect: none) |
| Total Words | 38 words |
| Total Points | 161 points |
| Genius Level | 113 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | - | - | - | 9 |
| E | - | 1 | 2 | - | - | - | - | 3 |
| H | 3 | 1 | 2 | - | - | - | - | 6 |
| I | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 4 |
| K | 2 | 1 | 4 | - | - | - | - | 7 |
| L | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | 1 | 5 |
| O | 1 | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | 4 | Σ | 14 | 10 | 11 | 2 | - | - | 1 | 38 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| D | DE×1 DI×7 DO×1 |
|---|---|
| E | ED×1 EL×2 |
| H | HI×5 HO×1 |
| I | ID×3 IO×1 |
| K | KE×1 KI×6 |
| L | LI×5 |
| O | OI×1 OL×3 |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| D | DEL×1 DID×2 DIE×1 DIK×1 DIL×2 DIO×1 DOL×1 |
|---|---|
| E | EDD×1 ELI×2 |
| H | HID×1 HIK×2 HIL×2 HOO×1 |
| I | IDL×2 IDO×1 IOD×1 |
| K | KEL×1 KID×3 KIL×3 |
| L | LID×1 LIE×1 LIK×3 |
| O | OIL×1 OLD×1 OLI×1 OLL×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) |
|---|---|---|
| li........ † | LI10 | The probability of a specified outcome; the chance of something happening; probability; the state or degree of being probable. |
| de.. | DE4 | A shop that sells cooked or prepared food ready for serving. |
| di.... | DI6 | In percussion, two consecutive notes played by the same hand (either RR or LL), similar to the drag, except that by convention diddles are played the same speed as the context in which they are placed. |
| di..... | DI7 | simple past tense and past participle of diddle |
| di.. | DI4 | simple past tense and past participle of die |
| di.. | DI4 | Alternative form of dyke: ditch; embankment; waterway; etc. |
| di... | DI5 | An artificial phallus (penis) for sexual use. |
| di.. | DI4 | Anethum graveolens (the type species of the genus Anethum), a herb, the seeds of which are moderately warming, pungent, and aromatic, formerly used as a soothing medicine for children; also known as dillseed. |
| di... | DI5 | An electronic device that allows current to flow in one direction only; used chiefly as a rectifier. |
| do..... | DO7 | simple past tense and past participle of dolly |
| ed.... | ED6 | simple past tense and past participle of eddy |
| el... | EL5 | To leave out or omit (something). |
| el.... | EL6 | simple past tense and past participle of elide |
| hi.. | HI4 | To put (something) in a place where it will be harder to discover or out of sight. |
| hi.. | HI4 | A long walk, usually for pleasure or exercise. |
| hi... | HI5 | simple past tense and past participle of hike |
| hi.. | HI4 | An elevated landmass smaller than a mountain. |
| hi.... | HI6 | simple past tense and past participle of hill |
| ho.... | HO6 | A sweatshirt with an integral hood and, sometimes, a large kangaroo pocket at the front. |
| id.. | ID4 | Empty, vacant. |
| id... | ID5 | simple past tense and past participle of idle |
| id.. | ID4 | A graven image or representation of anything that is revered, or believed to convey spiritual power. |
| io.... | IO6 | A binary compound of iodine and another element or radical. |
| ke.... | KE6 | A hard raised growth of scar tissue at the site of an injury. |
| ki.... | KI6 | simple past tense and past participle of kid |
| ki.... | KI6 | A child. |
| ki... | KI5 | A close friend; especially used as a form of address. |
| ki.. | KI4 | To put to death; to extinguish the life of. |
| ki.... | KI6 | simple past tense and past participle of kill |
| ki.. | KI4 | Clipping of kilogram. |
| li.... | LI6 | simple past tense and past participle of lid |
| li.. | LI4 | An art song, usually sung solo in German and accompanied on the piano. |
| li.. | LI4 | To enjoy, be pleased by; favor; be in favor of. |
| li... | LI5 | simple past tense and past participle of like |
| oi... | OI5 | simple past tense and past participle of oil |
| ol... | OL5 | Something or someone old. |
| ol.. | OL4 | A rich, thick, Spanish stew consisting of meat and vegetables. |
| ol... | OL5 | An aerial maneuver in which one catches air by leaping off the ground with the skateboard and into the air. |
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.
- likelihood† (LI10)
- deli (DE4)
- diddle (DI6)
- diddled (DI7)
- died (DI4)
- dike (DI4)
- dildo (DI5)
- dill (DI4)
- diode (DI5)
- dollied (DO7)
- eddied (ED6)
- elide (EL5)
- elided (EL6)
- hide (HI4)
- hike (HI4)
- hiked (HI5)
- hill (HI4)
- hilled (HI6)
- hoodie (HO6)
- idle (ID4)
- idled (ID5)
- idol (ID4)
- iodide (IO6)
- keloid (KE6)
- kidded (KI6)
- kiddie (KI6)
- kiddo (KI5)
- kill (KI4)
- killed (KI6)
- kilo (KI4)
- lidded (LI6)
- lied (LI4)
- like (LI4)
- liked (LI5)
- oiled (OI5)
- oldie (OL5)
- olio (OL4)
- ollie (OL5)
Answer Definitions
- likelihood† (noun): The probability of a specified outcome; the chance of something happening; probability; the state or degree of being probable.
- deli (noun): A shop that sells cooked or prepared food ready for serving.
- diddle (noun): In percussion, two consecutive notes played by the same hand (either RR or LL), similar to the drag, except that by convention diddles are played the same speed as the context in which they are placed.
- diddled (verb): simple past tense and past participle of diddle
- died (verb): simple past tense and past participle of die
- dike (noun): Alternative form of dyke: ditch; embankment; waterway; etc.
- dildo (noun): An artificial phallus (penis) for sexual use.
- dill (noun): Anethum graveolens (the type species of the genus Anethum), a herb, the seeds of which are moderately warming, pungent, and aromatic, formerly used as a soothing medicine for children; also known as dillseed.
- diode (noun): An electronic device that allows current to flow in one direction only; used chiefly as a rectifier.
- dollied (verb): simple past tense and past participle of dolly
- eddied (verb): simple past tense and past participle of eddy
- elide (verb): To leave out or omit (something).
- elided (verb): simple past tense and past participle of elide
- hide (verb): To put (something) in a place where it will be harder to discover or out of sight.
- hike (noun): A long walk, usually for pleasure or exercise.
- hiked (verb): simple past tense and past participle of hike
- hill (noun): An elevated landmass smaller than a mountain.
- hilled (verb): simple past tense and past participle of hill
- hoodie (noun): A sweatshirt with an integral hood and, sometimes, a large kangaroo pocket at the front.
- idle (adjective): Empty, vacant.
- idled (verb): simple past tense and past participle of idle
- idol (noun): A graven image or representation of anything that is revered, or believed to convey spiritual power.
- iodide (noun): A binary compound of iodine and another element or radical.
- keloid (noun): A hard raised growth of scar tissue at the site of an injury.
- kidded (verb): simple past tense and past participle of kid
- kiddie (noun): A child.
- kiddo (noun): A close friend; especially used as a form of address.
- kill (verb): To put to death; to extinguish the life of.
- killed (verb): simple past tense and past participle of kill
- kilo (noun): Clipping of kilogram.
- lidded (verb): simple past tense and past participle of lid
- lied (noun): An art song, usually sung solo in German and accompanied on the piano.
- like (verb): To enjoy, be pleased by; favor; be in favor of.
- liked (verb): simple past tense and past participle of like
- oiled (verb): simple past tense and past participle of oil
- oldie (noun): Something or someone old.
- olio (noun): A rich, thick, Spanish stew consisting of meat and vegetables.
- ollie (noun): An aerial maneuver in which one catches air by leaping off the ground with the skateboard and into the air.