NYT Spelling Bee Answers for March 18, 2026
Game Summary
| Center Letter | R |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | a, i, j, n, o, t |
| # of Pangrams | 1 (Perfect: 1) |
| Total Words | 67 words |
| Total Points | 325 points |
| Genius Level | 227 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 | 2 | 3 | 1 | - | - | 2 | - | 8 |
| I | 1 | 1 | - | - | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| J | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | 1 |
| N | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | 7 |
| O | - | - | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | - | 3 |
| R | 9 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | - | - | 19 |
| T | 8 | 6 | 4 | 3 | - | 3 | - | 24 | Σ | 22 | 15 | 10 | 8 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 67 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| A | AJ×1 AN×1 AO×1 AR×2 AT×3 |
|---|---|
| I | IN×2 IR×3 |
| J | JA×1 |
| N | NA×2 NI×1 NO×4 |
| O | OR×3 |
| R | RA×9 RI×2 RO×8 |
| T | TA×8 TI×2 TO×7 TR×7 |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| A | AJA×1 ANN×1 AOR×1 ARI×1 ARR×1 ATR×1 ATT×2 |
|---|---|
| I | INI×1 INT×1 IRO×1 IRR×2 |
| J | JAN×1 |
| N | NAR×2 NIT×1 NOI×1 NON×1 NOR×1 NOT×1 |
| O | ORA×3 |
| R | RAI×2 RAJ×1 RAN×2 RAT×4 RIO×2 ROA×2 ROO×1 ROT×5 |
| T | TAN×2 TAR×6 TIA×1 TIT×1 TOR×7 TRA×4 TRI×2 TRO×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) |
|---|---|---|
| ja..... † | JA7 | Someone who looks after the maintenance and cleaning of a public building. A caretaker or custodian; someone who maintains a school building specifically and may serve other administrative roles. |
| aj.. | AJ4 | Slightly turned or opened. |
| an....... | AN9 | One who annotates. |
| ao... | AO5 | 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. |
| ar.. | AR4 | A musical piece written typically for a solo voice with orchestral accompaniment in an opera or cantata. |
| ar.... | AR6 | Complete; downright; utter. |
| at... | AT5 | plural of atrium |
| at... | AT5 | An essential oil extracted from flowers. |
| at....... | AT9 | Grinding down or wearing away by friction. |
| in....... | IN9 | One who initiates. |
| in... | IN5 | An introduction. |
| ir.. | IR4 | A common, inexpensive metal, silvery grey when untarnished, that rusts, is attracted by magnets, and is used in making steel. |
| ir...... | IR8 | Causing irritation or inflammation. |
| ir........ | IR10 | The act of irritating or annoying |
| na....... | NA9 | The act of recounting or relating in order the particulars of some action, occurrence, or affair; a narrating. |
| na...... | NA8 | One who narrates or tells stories. |
| ni... | NI5 | the univalent NO2 functional group. |
| no.. | NO4 | Of or pertaining to film noir, or the atmosphere associated with that genre |
| no.... | NO6 | That which is not art |
| no.. | NO4 | A type of seaweed, a red alga, laver (genus Pyropia, including species P. yezoensis and P. tenera). |
| no..... | NO7 | One who notates; a writer of notation. |
| or..... | OR7 | A formal, often ceremonial speech. |
| or.... | OR6 | Someone who orates or delivers an oration. |
| or...... | OR8 | A musical composition, often based on a religious theme; similar to opera but with no costume, scenery or acting. |
| ra.. | RA4 | Condensed water falling from a cloud. |
| ra... | RA5 | A condiment used as a dip or sauce in the cuisine of southern Asia, made from seasoned yogurt. |
| ra.. | RA4 | Alternative spelling of rajah |
| ra.. | RA4 | The wife of a rajah. |
| ra.. | RA4 | To speak or shout at length in uncontrollable anger. |
| ra..... | RA7 | A swiftly repeated knocking sound. |
| ra... | RA5 | A number representing a comparison between two named things. |
| ra.... | RA6 | A portion of some limited resource allocated to a person or group. |
| ra.... | RA6 | Any of several species of climbing palm of the genus Calamus. |
| ri... | RI5 | Alternative letter-case form of Rioja |
| ri.. | RI4 | A tumultuous disturbance of the public peace by a large group of people, often involving violence or damage to property. |
| ro.. | RO4 | Especially of a horse, having a coat of a dark base color with individual white hairs mixed in |
| ro.. | RO4 | To make a loud, deep cry, especially from pain, anger, or other strong emotion. |
| ro.. | RO4 | 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. |
| ro...... | RO8 | The act of turning around a centre or an axis. |
| ro..... | RO7 | One who or that which rotates. |
| ro.. | RO4 | A kind of unleavened flatbread commonly consumed in South Asia and the Caribbean. |
| ro.... | RO6 | A type of helix- or corkscrew-shaped pasta similar to fusilli. |
| ro... | RO5 | A rotating part of a mechanical device; for example, in an electric motor, generator, alternator, or pump. |
| ta..... | TA7 | a flourish on a trumpet |
| ta.... | TA6 | A Hindu or Buddhist religious or esoteric text. |
| ta....... | TA9 | The act or process of damnation or reprobation; hell. |
| ta.. | TA4 | Colocasia esculenta, raised as a food primarily for its corm, which distantly resembles potato. |
| ta... | TA5 | A card game played in various different variations. |
| ta.. | TA4 | Sharp to the taste; acid; sour. |
| ta.... | TA6 | 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. |
| ta.... | TA6 | A red compound deposited during wine making; mostly potassium hydrogen tartrate — a source of cream of tartar. |
| ti... | TI5 | The papal crown. |
| ti....... | TI9 | The determination of the concentration of some substance in a solution by slowly adding measured amounts of some other substance (normally using a burette) until a reaction is shown to be complete, for instance by the colour change of an indicator. |
| to.. | TO4 | plural of torus |
| to... | TO5 | A traditional Japanese gate at Shinto shrines, symbolically marking the transition from the profane to the sacred. |
| to.. | TO4 | past participle of tear (rip, rend, speed). |
| to.. | TO4 | A traditional Japanese lantern. |
| to.. | TO4 | An injury or wrong. |
| to... | TO5 | A sandwich, served either hot or cold, on an oblong white sandwich roll, derived from Mexican cuisine. |
| to..... | TO7 | Any of several sorts of ice-cream flavoured with rum or sherry, often containing chopped cherries and topped with almonds, crumbled macaroons, etc. |
| tr... | TR5 | Elongated or trailing portion. The elongated back portion of a dress or skirt (or an ornamental piece of material added to similar effect), which drags along the ground. |
| tr... | TR5 | An identifying characteristic, habit or trend. |
| tr..... | TR7 | Someone who violates an allegiance and betrays their country; someone guilty of treason; one who, in breach of trust, delivers their country to an enemy, or yields up any fort or place entrusted to their defense, or surrenders an army or body of troops to the enemy, unless when vanquished. |
| tr....... | TR9 | A small, informal Italian-style restaurant. |
| tr.. | TR4 | A group of three people or things. |
| tr.... | TR6 | the atomic nucleus of a tritium atom, consisting of a proton and two neutrons |
| tr.. | TR4 | An ugly old woman, a hag. |
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.
- janitor† (JA7)
- ajar (AJ4)
- annotator (AN9)
- aorta (AO5)
- aria (AR4)
- arrant (AR6)
- atria (AT5)
- attar (AT5)
- attrition (AT9)
- initiator (IN9)
- intro (IN5)
- iron (IR4)
- irritant (IR8)
- irritation (IR10)
- narration (NA9)
- narrator (NA8)
- nitro (NI5)
- noir (NO4)
- nonart (NO6)
- nori (NO4)
- notator (NO7)
- oration (OR7)
- orator (OR6)
- oratorio (OR8)
- rain (RA4)
- raita (RA5)
- raja (RA4)
- rani (RA4)
- rant (RA4)
- ratatat (RA7)
- ratio (RA5)
- ration (RA6)
- rattan (RA6)
- rioja (RI5)
- riot (RI4)
- roan (RO4)
- roar (RO4)
- root (RO4)
- rotation (RO8)
- rotator (RO7)
- roti (RO4)
- rotini (RO6)
- rotor (RO5)
- tantara (TA7)
- tantra (TA6)
- tarnation (TA9)
- taro (TA4)
- tarot (TA5)
- tart (TA4)
- tartan (TA6)
- tartar (TA6)
- tiara (TI5)
- titration (TI9)
- tori (TO4)
- torii (TO5)
- torn (TO4)
- toro (TO4)
- tort (TO4)
- torta (TO5)
- tortoni (TO7)
- train (TR5)
- trait (TR5)
- traitor (TR7)
- trattoria (TR9)
- trio (TR4)
- triton (TR6)
- trot (TR4)
Answer Definitions
- janitor† (noun): Someone who looks after the maintenance and cleaning of a public building. A caretaker or custodian; someone who maintains a school building specifically and may serve other administrative roles.
- ajar (adverb): Slightly turned or opened.
- 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.
- aria (noun): A musical piece written typically for a solo voice with orchestral accompaniment in an opera or cantata.
- arrant (adjective): Complete; downright; utter.
- atria (noun): plural of atrium
- attar (noun): An essential oil extracted from flowers.
- attrition (noun): Grinding down or wearing away by friction.
- initiator (noun): One who initiates.
- intro (noun): An introduction.
- iron (noun): A common, inexpensive metal, silvery grey when untarnished, that rusts, is attracted by magnets, and is used in making steel.
- irritant (adjective): Causing irritation or inflammation.
- irritation (noun): The act of irritating or annoying
- narration (noun): The act of recounting or relating in order the particulars of some action, occurrence, or affair; a narrating.
- narrator (noun): One who narrates or tells stories.
- nitro (noun): the univalent NO2 functional group.
- noir (adjective): Of or pertaining to film noir, or the atmosphere associated with that genre
- nonart (noun): That which is not art
- nori (noun): A type of seaweed, a red alga, laver (genus Pyropia, including species P. yezoensis and P. tenera).
- notator (noun): One who notates; a writer of notation.
- oration (noun): A formal, often ceremonial speech.
- orator (noun): Someone who orates or delivers an oration.
- oratorio (noun): A musical composition, often based on a religious theme; similar to opera but with no costume, scenery or acting.
- rain (noun): Condensed water falling from a cloud.
- raita (noun): A condiment used as a dip or sauce in the cuisine of southern Asia, made from seasoned yogurt.
- raja (noun): Alternative spelling of rajah
- rani (noun): The wife of a rajah.
- rant (verb): To speak or shout at length in uncontrollable anger.
- ratatat (noun): A swiftly repeated knocking sound.
- ratio (noun): A number representing a comparison between two named things.
- ration (noun): A portion of some limited resource allocated to a person or group.
- rattan (noun): Any of several species of climbing palm of the genus Calamus.
- rioja (noun): Alternative letter-case form of Rioja
- riot (noun): A tumultuous disturbance of the public peace by a large group of people, often involving violence or damage to property.
- roan (adjective): Especially of a horse, having a coat of a dark base color with individual white hairs mixed in
- roar (verb): To make a loud, deep cry, especially from pain, anger, or other strong emotion.
- 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.
- rotation (noun): The act of turning around a centre or an axis.
- rotator (noun): One who or that which rotates.
- roti (noun): A kind of unleavened flatbread commonly consumed in South Asia and the Caribbean.
- rotini (noun): A type of helix- or corkscrew-shaped pasta similar to fusilli.
- 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.
- tarnation (noun): The act or process of damnation or reprobation; hell.
- 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.
- tiara (noun): The papal crown.
- titration (noun): The determination of the concentration of some substance in a solution by slowly adding measured amounts of some other substance (normally using a burette) until a reaction is shown to be complete, for instance by the colour change of an indicator.
- tori (noun): plural of torus
- torii (noun): A traditional Japanese gate at Shinto shrines, symbolically marking the transition from the profane to the sacred.
- 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.
- tortoni (noun): Any of several sorts of ice-cream flavoured with rum or sherry, often containing chopped cherries and topped with almonds, crumbled macaroons, etc.
- train (noun): Elongated or trailing portion. The elongated back portion of a dress or skirt (or an ornamental piece of material added to similar effect), which drags along the ground.
- trait (noun): An identifying characteristic, habit or trend.
- traitor (noun): Someone who violates an allegiance and betrays their country; someone guilty of treason; one who, in breach of trust, delivers their country to an enemy, or yields up any fort or place entrusted to their defense, or surrenders an army or body of troops to the enemy, unless when vanquished.
- trattoria (noun): A small, informal Italian-style restaurant.
- trio (noun): A group of three people or things.
- triton (noun): the atomic nucleus of a tritium atom, consisting of a proton and two neutrons
- trot (noun): An ugly old woman, a hag.