NYT Spelling Bee Answers for May 19, 2026
Game Summary
| Center Letter | U |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | d, e, l, o, p, t |
| # of Pangrams | 2 (Perfect: none) |
| Total Words | 62 words |
| Total Points | 299 points |
| Genius Level | 209 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D | 5 | 2 | 4 | 3 | - | - | 14 |
| E | - | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | 3 |
| L | 5 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | 8 |
| O | - | 2 | 2 | 2 | - | 2 | 8 |
| P | 5 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 1 | - | 19 |
| T | 2 | 2 | 4 | - | - | - | 8 |
| U | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 2 | Σ | 18 | 13 | 20 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 62 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| D | DE×4 DU×10 |
|---|---|
| E | EL×2 ET×1 |
| L | LE×1 LO×3 LU×4 |
| O | OU×8 |
| P | PO×5 PU×14 |
| T | TO×3 TU×5 |
| U | UP×2 |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| D | DEL×2 DEP×2 DUD×1 DUE×4 DUL×2 DUP×3 |
|---|---|
| E | ELU×2 ETU×1 |
| L | LET×1 LOU×3 LUL×3 LUT×1 |
| O | OUT×8 |
| P | POL×2 POU×3 PUD×2 PUL×8 PUP×1 PUT×3 |
| T | TOU×3 TUL×1 TUP×1 TUT×3 |
| U | UPD×1 UPP×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) |
|---|---|---|
| ou....... † | OU9 | No definition found; request failed |
| po...... † | PO8 | No definition found; request failed |
| de.... | DE6 | To deceive into believing something which is false; to lead into error; to dupe. |
| de..... | DE7 | Being affected by delusions. |
| de.... | DE6 | to assign to or for something |
| de..... | DE7 | simple past tense and past participle of depute |
| du.. | DU4 | A man, generally a younger man. |
| du.. | DU4 | Arranged, regular combat between two private persons, often over a matter of honor. |
| du.... | DU6 | simple past tense and past participle of duel |
| du.. | DU4 | A musical composition in two parts, each performed by a single voice (singer, instrument or univoce ensemble). |
| du..... | DU7 | simple past tense and past participle of duet |
| du.. | DU4 | Lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp. |
| du.... | DU6 | simple past tense and past participle of dull |
| du.. | DU4 | A person who has been deceived. |
| du... | DU5 | simple past tense and past participle of dupe |
| du... | DU5 | Double. |
| el... | EL5 | To evade or escape from (someone or something), especially by using cunning or skill. |
| el.... | EL6 | simple past tense and past participle of elude |
| et... | ET5 | A short piece of music, designed to give a performer practice in a particular area or skill. |
| le... | LE5 | A pause or period of slackening. |
| lo.. | LO4 | Of great intensity. |
| lo... | LO5 | A magnifying glass, usually mounted in an eyepiece, often used by jewellers and watchmakers. |
| lo.. | LO4 | A troublemaker, often violent; a rude violent person; a yob. |
| lu.. | LU4 | A period of rest or soothing. |
| lu.... | LU6 | simple past tense and past participle of lull |
| lu.. | LU4 | A remarkable person, object or idea. |
| lu.. | LU4 | A fretted stringed instrument of European origin, similar to the guitar, having a bowl-shaped body or soundbox; any of a wide variety of chordophones with a pear-shaped body and a neck whose upper surface is in the same plane as the soundboard, with strings along the neck and parallel to the soundboard. |
| ou... | OU5 | To excel; go beyond in performance; surpass. |
| ou..... | OU7 | No definition found; request failed |
| ou....... | OU9 | No definition found; request failed |
| ou... | OU5 | simple past tense and past participle of out |
| ou.... | OU6 | A vent or similar passage to allow the escape of something. |
| ou..... | OU7 | To defeat in a poll. |
| ou.... | OU6 | Production; quantity produced, created, or completed. |
| po..... | PO7 | To make something harmful, especially by the addition of some unwanted product. |
| po... | PO5 | A young bird, a chick; now especially, a young game bird (turkey, partridge, grouse etc.). |
| po.. | PO4 | To push out one's lips. |
| po.... | PO6 | No definition found; request failed |
| pu.... | PU6 | A small, often temporary, pool of water, usually on a path or road. |
| pu..... | PU7 | simple past tense and past participle of puddle |
| pu.. | PU4 | A plaintive melancholy whine. |
| pu... | PU5 | simple past tense and past participle of pule |
| pu.. | PU4 | To apply a force to (an object) so that it comes toward the person or thing applying the force. |
| pu.... | PU6 | simple past tense and past participle of pull |
| pu.... | PU6 | A young hen, especially one less than a year old. |
| pu..... | PU7 | A withdrawal, especially of armed forces. |
| pu.. | PU4 | A soft, moist, shapeless mass or matter. A mixture of wood, cellulose and/or rags and water ground up to make paper. A mass of chemically processed wood fibres (cellulose). A suspension of mineral particles, typically achieved by some form of agitation. The soft center of a fruit. |
| pu.... | PU6 | simple past tense and past participle of pulp |
| pu.... | PU6 | Any small model of a person or animal able to be moved by strings or rods, or in the form of a glove. |
| pu.... | PU6 | A play in which a batter is retired |
| pu.. | PU4 | The act of tapping a golf ball lightly on a putting green. |
| pu.... | PU6 | simple past tense and past participle of putt |
| to.... | TO6 | A wig of false hair worn to cover a bald spot, especially as worn by a man. |
| to.. | TO4 | Someone advertising for customers in an aggressive way. |
| to.... | TO6 | simple past tense and past participle of tout |
| tu... | TU5 | A kind of silk lace or light netting, used for clothing, veils, etc. |
| tu.... | TU6 | Any of several trees of the genus Nyssa which grow in swampy regions on the eastern, southern and midwestern United States. Nyssa aquatica. Nyssa multiflora, a North American tree of the dogwood family, with brilliant, glossy foliage and acid red berries. |
| tu... | TU5 | A student of a tutor. |
| tu.... | TU6 | simple past tense and past participle of tut |
| tu.. | TU4 | A ballet skirt made of layered stiff but light netting. |
| up.. | UP4 | A woman's hairdo in which most hair is kept above the neck |
| up... | UP5 | simple past tense and past participle of up |
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.
- outpolled† (OU9)
- polluted† (PO8)
- delude (DE6)
- deluded (DE7)
- depute (DE6)
- deputed (DE7)
- dude (DU4)
- duel (DU4)
- dueled (DU6)
- duet (DU4)
- duetted (DU7)
- dull (DU4)
- dulled (DU6)
- dupe (DU4)
- duped (DU5)
- duple (DU5)
- elude (EL5)
- eluded (EL6)
- etude (ET5)
- letup (LE5)
- loud (LO4)
- loupe (LO5)
- lout (LO4)
- lull (LU4)
- lulled (LU6)
- lulu (LU4)
- lute (LU4)
- outdo (OU5)
- outduel (OU7)
- outdueled (OU9)
- outed (OU5)
- outlet (OU6)
- outpoll (OU7)
- output (OU6)
- pollute (PO7)
- poult (PO5)
- pout (PO4)
- pouted (PO6)
- puddle (PU6)
- puddled (PU7)
- pule (PU4)
- puled (PU5)
- pull (PU4)
- pulled (PU6)
- pullet (PU6)
- pullout (PU7)
- pulp (PU4)
- pulped (PU6)
- puppet (PU6)
- putout (PU6)
- putt (PU4)
- putted (PU6)
- toupee (TO6)
- tout (TO4)
- touted (TO6)
- tulle (TU5)
- tupelo (TU6)
- tutee (TU5)
- tutted (TU6)
- tutu (TU4)
- updo (UP4)
- upped (UP5)
Answer Definitions
- outpolled† (n/a): No definition found; request failed
- polluted† (n/a): No definition found; request failed
- delude (verb): To deceive into believing something which is false; to lead into error; to dupe.
- deluded (adjective): Being affected by delusions.
- depute (verb): to assign to or for something
- deputed (verb): simple past tense and past participle of depute
- dude (noun): A man, generally a younger man.
- duel (noun): Arranged, regular combat between two private persons, often over a matter of honor.
- dueled (verb): simple past tense and past participle of duel
- duet (noun): A musical composition in two parts, each performed by a single voice (singer, instrument or univoce ensemble).
- duetted (verb): simple past tense and past participle of duet
- dull (adjective): Lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp.
- dulled (verb): simple past tense and past participle of dull
- dupe (noun): A person who has been deceived.
- duped (verb): simple past tense and past participle of dupe
- duple (adjective): Double.
- elude (verb): To evade or escape from (someone or something), especially by using cunning or skill.
- eluded (verb): simple past tense and past participle of elude
- etude (noun): A short piece of music, designed to give a performer practice in a particular area or skill.
- letup (noun): A pause or period of slackening.
- loud (adjective): Of great intensity.
- loupe (noun): A magnifying glass, usually mounted in an eyepiece, often used by jewellers and watchmakers.
- lout (noun): A troublemaker, often violent; a rude violent person; a yob.
- lull (noun): A period of rest or soothing.
- lulled (verb): simple past tense and past participle of lull
- lulu (noun): A remarkable person, object or idea.
- lute (noun): A fretted stringed instrument of European origin, similar to the guitar, having a bowl-shaped body or soundbox; any of a wide variety of chordophones with a pear-shaped body and a neck whose upper surface is in the same plane as the soundboard, with strings along the neck and parallel to the soundboard.
- outdo (verb): To excel; go beyond in performance; surpass.
- outduel (n/a): No definition found; request failed
- outdueled (n/a): No definition found; request failed
- outed (verb): simple past tense and past participle of out
- outlet (noun): A vent or similar passage to allow the escape of something.
- outpoll (verb): To defeat in a poll.
- output (noun): Production; quantity produced, created, or completed.
- pollute (verb): To make something harmful, especially by the addition of some unwanted product.
- poult (noun): A young bird, a chick; now especially, a young game bird (turkey, partridge, grouse etc.).
- pout (verb): To push out one's lips.
- pouted (n/a): No definition found; request failed
- puddle (noun): A small, often temporary, pool of water, usually on a path or road.
- puddled (verb): simple past tense and past participle of puddle
- pule (noun): A plaintive melancholy whine.
- puled (verb): simple past tense and past participle of pule
- pull (verb): To apply a force to (an object) so that it comes toward the person or thing applying the force.
- pulled (verb): simple past tense and past participle of pull
- pullet (noun): A young hen, especially one less than a year old.
- pullout (noun): A withdrawal, especially of armed forces.
- pulp (noun): A soft, moist, shapeless mass or matter. A mixture of wood, cellulose and/or rags and water ground up to make paper. A mass of chemically processed wood fibres (cellulose). A suspension of mineral particles, typically achieved by some form of agitation. The soft center of a fruit.
- pulped (verb): simple past tense and past participle of pulp
- puppet (noun): Any small model of a person or animal able to be moved by strings or rods, or in the form of a glove.
- putout (noun): A play in which a batter is retired
- putt (noun): The act of tapping a golf ball lightly on a putting green.
- putted (verb): simple past tense and past participle of putt
- toupee (noun): A wig of false hair worn to cover a bald spot, especially as worn by a man.
- tout (noun): Someone advertising for customers in an aggressive way.
- touted (verb): simple past tense and past participle of tout
- tulle (noun): A kind of silk lace or light netting, used for clothing, veils, etc.
- tupelo (noun): Any of several trees of the genus Nyssa which grow in swampy regions on the eastern, southern and midwestern United States. Nyssa aquatica. Nyssa multiflora, a North American tree of the dogwood family, with brilliant, glossy foliage and acid red berries.
- tutee (noun): A student of a tutor.
- tutted (verb): simple past tense and past participle of tut
- tutu (noun): A ballet skirt made of layered stiff but light netting.
- updo (noun): A woman's hairdo in which most hair is kept above the neck
- upped (verb): simple past tense and past participle of up