NYT Spelling Bee Answers for July 21, 2026
Game Summary
| Center Letter | F |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | a, b, i, l, n, y |
| # of Pangrams | 1 (Perfect: none) |
| Total Words | 25 words |
| Total Points | 119 points |
| Genius Level | 83 points |
| Bingo? | No |
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 | - | - | - | 2 |
| B | 1 | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | 2 |
| F | 6 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 2 | - | - | 17 |
| I | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 1 | 3 |
| L | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| N | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| Y | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | Σ | 9 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 2 | - | 1 | 25 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| A | AF×1 AL×1 |
|---|---|
| B | BA×1 BI×1 |
| F | FA×4 FI×7 FL×6 |
| I | IF×1 IN×2 |
| L | |
| N | NA×1 |
| Y |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| A | AFF×1 ALF×1 |
|---|---|
| B | BAI×1 BIF×1 |
| F | FAI×1 FAL×2 FAN×1 FIL×4 FIN×3 FLA×5 FLY×1 |
| I | IFF×1 INF×2 |
| L | |
| N | NAI×1 |
| Y |
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) |
|---|---|---|
| in........ † | IN10 | In an infallible manner. |
| af..... | AF7 | in an affable manner |
| al..... | AL7 | A plant, principally of Medicago sativa, grown as a pasture crop. |
| ba..... | BA7 | An officer of the court, particularly: A reeve, the chief officer executing the decisions of any English court in the period following the Norman Conquest or executing the decisions of lower courts in the late medieval and early modern period. A high bailiff: an officer of the county courts responsible for executing warrants and court orders, appointed by the judge and removable by the Lord Chancellor. A bound bailiff: a deputy bailiff charged with debt collection. Any law enforcement officer charged with courtroom security and order. A huissier de justice or other foreign officer of the court acting as either a process server or as courtroom security. |
| bi.. | BI4 | A sudden, sharp blow or punch. |
| fa.. | FA4 | To be unsuccessful. |
| fa.. | FA4 | To be moved downwards. To move to a lower position under the effect of gravity. |
| fa...... | FA8 | In a fallible manner |
| fa... | FA5 | euphemism for the buttocks |
| fi.... | FI6 | Pertaining to or befitting a son or daughter. |
| fi...... | FI8 | In a filial manner. |
| fi.. | FI4 | To occupy fully, to take up all of. |
| fi... | FI5 | A young female horse. |
| fi... | FI5 | A final examination; a test or examination given at the end of a term or class; the test that concludes a class. |
| fi..... | FI7 | At the end or conclusion; ultimately. |
| fi.... | FI6 | The knot or bunch of foliage, or foliated ornament, that forms the upper extremity of a pinnacle in Gothic architecture. |
| fl.. | FL4 | Soft, loose flesh on a person's body; fat. |
| fl.... | FL6 | Yielding to the touch, and easily moved or shaken; hanging loose by its own weight; lacking firmness; flaccid. |
| fl... | FL5 | A tool used for threshing, consisting of a long handle with a shorter stick attached with a short piece of chain, thong or similar material. |
| fl.. | FL4 | Baked tart with sweet or savoury filling in an open-topped pastry case. |
| fl.. | FL4 | To cause to fly; put to flight; drive off (by frightening). |
| fl... | FL5 | A flight past a celestial object in order to make observations. |
| if.. | IF4 | Of dubious authenticity, legitimacy or legality. |
| in.... | IN6 | To fill in a space, hole or gap. |
| na.. | NA4 | Alternative spelling of naïf. |
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.
- infallibly† (IN10)
- affably (AF7)
- alfalfa (AL7)
- bailiff (BA7)
- biff (BI4)
- fail (FA4)
- fall (FA4)
- fallibly (FA8)
- fanny (FA5)
- filial (FI6)
- filially (FI8)
- fill (FI4)
- filly (FI5)
- final (FI5)
- finally (FI7)
- finial (FI6)
- flab (FL4)
- flabby (FL6)
- flail (FL5)
- flan (FL4)
- flay (FL4)
- flyby (FL5)
- iffy (IF4)
- infill (IN6)
- naif (NA4)
Answer Definitions
- infallibly† (adverb): In an infallible manner.
- affably (adverb): in an affable manner
- alfalfa (noun): A plant, principally of Medicago sativa, grown as a pasture crop.
- bailiff (noun): An officer of the court, particularly: A reeve, the chief officer executing the decisions of any English court in the period following the Norman Conquest or executing the decisions of lower courts in the late medieval and early modern period. A high bailiff: an officer of the county courts responsible for executing warrants and court orders, appointed by the judge and removable by the Lord Chancellor. A bound bailiff: a deputy bailiff charged with debt collection. Any law enforcement officer charged with courtroom security and order. A huissier de justice or other foreign officer of the court acting as either a process server or as courtroom security.
- biff (noun): A sudden, sharp blow or punch.
- fail (verb): To be unsuccessful.
- fall (verb): To be moved downwards. To move to a lower position under the effect of gravity.
- fallibly (adverb): In a fallible manner
- fanny (noun): euphemism for the buttocks
- filial (adjective): Pertaining to or befitting a son or daughter.
- filially (adverb): In a filial manner.
- fill (verb): To occupy fully, to take up all of.
- filly (noun): A young female horse.
- final (noun): A final examination; a test or examination given at the end of a term or class; the test that concludes a class.
- finally (adverb): At the end or conclusion; ultimately.
- finial (noun): The knot or bunch of foliage, or foliated ornament, that forms the upper extremity of a pinnacle in Gothic architecture.
- flab (noun): Soft, loose flesh on a person's body; fat.
- flabby (adjective): Yielding to the touch, and easily moved or shaken; hanging loose by its own weight; lacking firmness; flaccid.
- flail (noun): A tool used for threshing, consisting of a long handle with a shorter stick attached with a short piece of chain, thong or similar material.
- flan (noun): Baked tart with sweet or savoury filling in an open-topped pastry case.
- flay (verb): To cause to fly; put to flight; drive off (by frightening).
- flyby (noun): A flight past a celestial object in order to make observations.
- iffy (adjective): Of dubious authenticity, legitimacy or legality.
- infill (verb): To fill in a space, hole or gap.
- naif (adjective): Alternative spelling of naïf.