NYT Spelling Bee Answers for April 23, 2026
Game Summary
| Center Letter | A |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | d, e, l, n, q, u |
| # of Pangrams | 1 (Perfect: none) |
| Total Words | 61 words |
| Total Points | 278 points |
| Genius Level | 195 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 2 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 2 | - | 16 |
| D | 5 | - | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | 9 |
| E | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | - | 5 |
| L | 8 | 3 | 7 | 1 | - | - | 19 |
| N | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | 3 |
| Q | 1 | - | - | - | 1 | - | 2 |
| U | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | Σ | 21 | 10 | 17 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 61 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| A | AD×5 AL×3 AN×7 AQ×1 |
|---|---|
| D | DA×3 DE×5 DU×1 |
| E | EL×2 EN×1 EQ×2 |
| L | LA×10 LE×5 LU×4 |
| N | NA×3 |
| Q | QU×2 |
| U | UL×2 UN×5 |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| A | ADD×5 ALL×3 ANA×1 ANN×6 AQU×1 |
|---|---|
| D | DAL×1 DAN×2 DEA×5 DUA×1 |
| E | ELA×2 ENN×1 EQU×2 |
| L | LAD×5 LAN×3 LAU×2 LEA×5 LUA×1 LUN×3 |
| N | NAA×1 NAD×1 NAN×1 |
| Q | QUA×2 |
| U | ULN×2 UND×1 UNE×2 UNL×2 |
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) |
|---|---|---|
| un....... † | UN9 | Unmatched, superlative, the best ever done, record setting. |
| ad... | AD5 | simple past tense and past participle of add |
| ad.... | AD6 | Addendum, any one of two or more numbers or other terms that are to be added together. |
| ad..... | AD7 | plural of addendum |
| ad... | AD5 | To earn, earn by labor; earn money or one's living. |
| ad.... | AD6 | simple past and past participle of addle |
| al.... | AL6 | One of a number of alternative forms of the same gene occupying a given position, or locus, on a chromosome. |
| al.... | AL6 | To refer to something indirectly or by suggestion. |
| al..... | AL7 | simple past tense and past participle of allude |
| an.. | AN4 | of, related to, intended for or involving the anus. |
| an... | AN5 | The record of a single event or item. |
| an.... | AN6 | To subject to great heat and then (often slow) cooling, and sometimes reheating and further cooling, for the purpose of rendering less brittle; to temper; to toughen. |
| an...... | AN8 | simple past tense and past participle of anneal |
| an.... | AN6 | Happening once every year. |
| an... | AN5 | To formally revoke the validity of. |
| an...... | AN8 | simple past tense and past participle of annul |
| aq.. | AQ4 | The compound water. |
| da.. | DA4 | A valley, often in an otherwise hilly area. |
| da.... | DA6 | To move up and down on one's knee or in one's arms, in affectionate play, usually said of a child. |
| da..... | DA7 | simple past and past participle of dandle |
| de.. | DE4 | No longer living. |
| de.... | DE6 | To render less lively; to diminish; to muffle. |
| de...... | DE8 | simple past tense and past participle of deaden |
| de.. | DE4 | A division, a portion, a share, a part, a piece. |
| de.. | DE4 | A senior official in a college or university, who may be in charge of a division or faculty (for example, the dean of science) or have some other advisory or disciplinary function (for example, the dean of students). |
| du.. | DU4 | Characterized by having two (usually equivalent) components. |
| el.. | EL4 | Uncommon spelling of élan. |
| el... | EL5 | A genus of large South African antelope (Taurotragus), valued both for its hide and flesh. |
| en.... | EN6 | The number nine. |
| eq... | EQ5 | The same in all respects. |
| eq..... | EQ7 | simple past tense and past participle of equal |
| la.. | LA4 | To fill or load (related to cargo or a shipment). |
| la... | LA5 | simple past and past participle of lade |
| la... | LA5 | Weighed down with a load, burdened. |
| la... | LA5 | A deep-bowled spoonlike utensil with a long, usually curved, handle. |
| la.... | LA6 | simple past and past participle of ladle |
| la.. | LA4 | The part of Earth which is not covered by oceans or other bodies of water. |
| la.... | LA6 | In possession of land. |
| la.. | LA4 | A road, street, or similar thoroughfare. |
| la.. | LA4 | Praise or glorification. |
| la.... | LA6 | simple past tense and past participle of laud |
| le.. | LE4 | A heavy, pliable, inelastic metal element, having a bright, bluish color, but easily tarnished; both malleable and ductile, though with little tenacity. It is easily fusible, forms alloys with other metals, and is an ingredient of solder and type metal. Atomic number 82, symbol Pb (from Latin plumbum). |
| le.... | LE6 | Held in place by strips of lead. |
| le.... | LE6 | Made of lead. |
| le.. | LE4 | To incline, deviate, or bend, from a vertical position; to be in a position thus inclining or deviating. |
| le.... | LE6 | simple past tense and past participle of lean |
| lu.. | LU4 | An elaborate Hawaiian feast featuring traditional foods and entertainment. |
| lu.. | LU4 | A luna moth: a member of species Actias luna. |
| lu.... | LU6 | Something shaped like a crescent or half-moon; especially the pale area at the base of the fingernail. |
| lu..... | LU7 | plural of lunula |
| na.. | NA4 | A type of round, flat bread baked in a tandoor popular in South and Central Asian cuisine. |
| na.. | NA4 | Nothing. |
| na.. | NA4 | A banana. |
| qu...... | QU8 | Alternative letter-case form of Quaalude |
| qu.. | QU4 | A serving of four shots of espresso. |
| ul.. | UL4 | The bone of the forearm that extends from the elbow to the wrist on the side opposite to the thumb, corresponding to the fibula of the hind limb. Also, the corresponding bone in the forelimb of any vertebrate. |
| ul... | UL5 | plural of ulna |
| un.... | UN6 | Pertaining to a corpse, though having qualities of life. |
| un..... | UN7 | Not the same. |
| un..... | UN7 | Not carrying anything; unburdened. |
| un...... | UN8 | Without lead. |
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.
- unequaled† (UN9)
- added (AD5)
- addend (AD6)
- addenda (AD7)
- addle (AD5)
- addled (AD6)
- allele (AL6)
- allude (AL6)
- alluded (AL7)
- anal (AN4)
- annal (AN5)
- anneal (AN6)
- annealed (AN8)
- annual (AN6)
- annul (AN5)
- annulled (AN8)
- aqua (AQ4)
- dale (DA4)
- dandle (DA6)
- dandled (DA7)
- dead (DE4)
- deaden (DE6)
- deadened (DE8)
- deal (DE4)
- dean (DE4)
- dual (DU4)
- elan (EL4)
- eland (EL5)
- ennead (EN6)
- equal (EQ5)
- equaled (EQ7)
- lade (LA4)
- laded (LA5)
- laden (LA5)
- ladle (LA5)
- ladled (LA6)
- land (LA4)
- landed (LA6)
- lane (LA4)
- laud (LA4)
- lauded (LA6)
- lead (LE4)
- leaded (LE6)
- leaden (LE6)
- lean (LE4)
- leaned (LE6)
- luau (LU4)
- luna (LU4)
- lunula (LU6)
- lunulae (LU7)
- naan (NA4)
- nada (NA4)
- nana (NA4)
- quaalude (QU8)
- quad (QU4)
- ulna (UL4)
- ulnae (UL5)
- undead (UN6)
- unequal (UN7)
- unladen (UN7)
- unleaded (UN8)
Answer Definitions
- unequaled† (adjective): Unmatched, superlative, the best ever done, record setting.
- added (verb): simple past tense and past participle of add
- addend (noun): Addendum, any one of two or more numbers or other terms that are to be added together.
- addenda (noun): plural of addendum
- addle (verb): To earn, earn by labor; earn money or one's living.
- addled (verb): simple past and past participle of addle
- allele (noun): One of a number of alternative forms of the same gene occupying a given position, or locus, on a chromosome.
- allude (verb): To refer to something indirectly or by suggestion.
- alluded (verb): simple past tense and past participle of allude
- anal (adjective): of, related to, intended for or involving the anus.
- annal (noun): The record of a single event or item.
- anneal (verb): To subject to great heat and then (often slow) cooling, and sometimes reheating and further cooling, for the purpose of rendering less brittle; to temper; to toughen.
- annealed (verb): simple past tense and past participle of anneal
- annual (adjective): Happening once every year.
- annul (verb): To formally revoke the validity of.
- annulled (verb): simple past tense and past participle of annul
- aqua (noun): The compound water.
- dale (noun): A valley, often in an otherwise hilly area.
- dandle (verb): To move up and down on one's knee or in one's arms, in affectionate play, usually said of a child.
- dandled (verb): simple past and past participle of dandle
- dead (adjective): No longer living.
- deaden (verb): To render less lively; to diminish; to muffle.
- deadened (verb): simple past tense and past participle of deaden
- deal (noun): A division, a portion, a share, a part, a piece.
- dean (noun): A senior official in a college or university, who may be in charge of a division or faculty (for example, the dean of science) or have some other advisory or disciplinary function (for example, the dean of students).
- dual (adjective): Characterized by having two (usually equivalent) components.
- elan (noun): Uncommon spelling of élan.
- eland (noun): A genus of large South African antelope (Taurotragus), valued both for its hide and flesh.
- ennead (noun): The number nine.
- equal (adjective): The same in all respects.
- equaled (verb): simple past tense and past participle of equal
- lade (verb): To fill or load (related to cargo or a shipment).
- laded (verb): simple past and past participle of lade
- laden (adjective): Weighed down with a load, burdened.
- ladle (noun): A deep-bowled spoonlike utensil with a long, usually curved, handle.
- ladled (verb): simple past and past participle of ladle
- land (noun): The part of Earth which is not covered by oceans or other bodies of water.
- landed (adjective): In possession of land.
- lane (noun): A road, street, or similar thoroughfare.
- laud (noun): Praise or glorification.
- lauded (verb): simple past tense and past participle of laud
- lead (noun): A heavy, pliable, inelastic metal element, having a bright, bluish color, but easily tarnished; both malleable and ductile, though with little tenacity. It is easily fusible, forms alloys with other metals, and is an ingredient of solder and type metal. Atomic number 82, symbol Pb (from Latin plumbum).
- leaded (adjective): Held in place by strips of lead.
- leaden (adjective): Made of lead.
- lean (verb): To incline, deviate, or bend, from a vertical position; to be in a position thus inclining or deviating.
- leaned (verb): simple past tense and past participle of lean
- luau (noun): An elaborate Hawaiian feast featuring traditional foods and entertainment.
- luna (noun): A luna moth: a member of species Actias luna.
- lunula (noun): Something shaped like a crescent or half-moon; especially the pale area at the base of the fingernail.
- lunulae (noun): plural of lunula
- naan (noun): A type of round, flat bread baked in a tandoor popular in South and Central Asian cuisine.
- nada (pronoun): Nothing.
- nana (noun): A banana.
- quaalude (noun): Alternative letter-case form of Quaalude
- quad (noun): A serving of four shots of espresso.
- ulna (noun): The bone of the forearm that extends from the elbow to the wrist on the side opposite to the thumb, corresponding to the fibula of the hind limb. Also, the corresponding bone in the forelimb of any vertebrate.
- ulnae (noun): plural of ulna
- undead (adjective): Pertaining to a corpse, though having qualities of life.
- unequal (adjective): Not the same.
- unladen (adjective): Not carrying anything; unburdened.
- unleaded (adjective): Without lead.