NYT Spelling Bee Answers for August 17, 2026
Today's NYT Spelling Bee uses center letter O with outer letters D, G, I, P, R, Y. The puzzle contains 38 words worth 115 points, including 1 pangram. The longest word is 7 letters. To reach Genius you need 81 points; Queen Bee requires all 115 points. Today is not a bingo — at least one letter starts no words. Compared with the eight-year average of about 183 points per puzzle, this is a smaller-than-average day.
Game Summary
| Center Letter | O |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | d, g, i, p, r, y |
| # of Pangrams | 1 (Perfect: 1) |
| Total Words | 38 words |
| Total Points | 115 points |
| Genius Level | 81 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 | Σ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D | 5 | 5 | 1 | - | 11 |
| G | 6 | 3 | 1 | - | 10 |
| I | - | - | - | - | - |
| O | 2 | - | 1 | - | 3 |
| P | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
| R | 2 | 1 | - | - | 3 |
| Y | 1 | - | - | - | 1 | Σ | 22 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 38 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| D | DO×7 DR×4 |
|---|---|
| G | GO×6 GR×3 GY×1 |
| I | |
| O | OD×1 OP×1 OR×1 |
| P | PO×4 PR×5 PY×1 |
| R | RI×1 RO×2 |
| Y | YO×1 |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| D | DOD×2 DOG×2 DOO×1 DOP×1 DOR×1 DRO×4 |
|---|---|
| G | GOO×4 GOR×2 GRO×3 GYR×1 |
| I | |
| O | ODO×1 OPI×1 ORG×1 |
| P | POG×1 POO×2 POP×1 PRI×2 PRO×3 PYR×1 |
| R | RIG×1 ROO×1 ROP×1 |
| Y | YOG×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) |
|---|---|---|
| pr..... † | PR7 | An extraordinary thing seen as an omen; a portent. |
| do... | DO5 | evasive and shifty |
| do.. | DO4 | A large, flightless bird, †Raphus cucullatus, related to the pigeon, that is now extinct (since the 1600s) and was native to Mauritius. |
| do... | DO5 | Only used in lie doggo. |
| do... | DO5 | A dog, especially a small one. |
| do.. | DO4 | A portal of entry into a building, room, or vehicle, consisting of a rigid plane movable on a hinge. Doors are frequently made of wood or metal. May have a handle to help open and close, a latch to hold the door closed, and a lock that ensures the door cannot be opened without the key. |
| do.. | DO4 | Alternative spelling of dopey |
| do.. | DO4 | A small flat-bottomed boat with pointed or somewhat pointed ends, used for fishing both offshore and on rivers. |
| dr... | DR5 | A robot, especially one made with some physical resemblance to a human (an android). |
| dr... | DR5 | To hang downward; to sag. |
| dr.... | DR6 | Tending to droop; sagging; wilting. |
| dr.. | DR4 | A small quantity of liquid, just large enough to hold its own round shape through surface tension, especially one that falls from a source of liquid. |
| go.. | GO4 | Acting in the interest of what is beneficial, ethical, or moral. |
| go... | GO5 | Used to indicate pleasure or delight. |
| go.. | GO4 | A thick, slimy substance; goo. |
| go... | GO5 | Having the consistency of goop. |
| go.. | GO4 | A loose mixture of dried fruit, nuts, frequently salt, and sometimes other ingredients; designed as an energy supplement for use while hiking, climbing, canoeing, etc. |
| go.. | GO4 | Covered with blood; very bloody. |
| gr... | GR5 | nasty, dirty, disgusting, foul, revolting, yucky, grotesque. |
| gr.. | GR4 | An alcoholic beverage made with rum and water, especially that once issued to sailors of the Royal Navy. |
| gr.... | GR6 | Slowed or weakened, as by drink, sleepiness, etc. |
| gy.. | GY4 | A gyroscope. |
| od.. | OD4 | Any smell, whether fragrant or offensive. |
| op.... | OP6 | A substance that has effects similar to opium. |
| or.. | OR4 | Originally, secret rites or ceremonies, typically involving riotous and dissolute behaviour, including dancing, drunkenness and indiscriminate sexual activity, undertaken in honour of various pagan gods or goddesses (such as Attis, Bacchus, Ceres, Dionysus, Osiris, etc). |
| po.. | PO4 | To use a pogo stick. |
| po.. | PO4 | To make a short blast on a horn. |
| po.. | PO4 | With no or few possessions or money, particularly in relation to contemporaries who do have them. |
| po... | PO5 | Any plant of the genus Papaver or the family Papaveraceae, with crumpled, often red, petals and a milky juice having narcotic properties; especially the common poppy or corn poppy (Papaver rhoeas) which has orange-red flowers; the flower of such a plant. |
| pr... | PR5 | Advance; previous; coming before. |
| pr.... | PR6 | A monastery or convent governed by a prior or prioress. |
| pr.. | PR4 | To poke, to push, to touch. |
| pr.. | PR4 | An object placed against or under another, to support it; anything that supports. |
| py.. | PY4 | A pyromaniac. |
| ri... | RI5 | US spelling of rigour |
| ro.. | RO4 | A crucifix, cross, especially in a church. |
| ro.. | RO4 | Resembling rope in appearance or texture, used especially of muscles that are thick or hard to the touch. |
| yo.. | YO4 | A devotee or adherent of yoga. |
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.
- prodigy† (PR7)
- dodgy (DO5)
- dodo (DO4)
- doggo (DO5)
- doggy (DO5)
- door (DO4)
- dopy (DO4)
- dory (DO4)
- droid (DR5)
- droop (DR5)
- droopy (DR6)
- drop (DR4)
- good (GO4)
- goody (GO5)
- goop (GO4)
- goopy (GO5)
- gorp (GO4)
- gory (GO4)
- grody (GR5)
- grog (GR4)
- groggy (GR6)
- gyro (GY4)
- odor (OD4)
- opioid (OP6)
- orgy (OR4)
- pogo (PO4)
- poop (PO4)
- poor (PO4)
- poppy (PO5)
- prior (PR5)
- priory (PR6)
- prod (PR4)
- prop (PR4)
- pyro (PY4)
- rigor (RI5)
- rood (RO4)
- ropy (RO4)
- yogi (YO4)
Answer Definitions
- prodigy† (noun): An extraordinary thing seen as an omen; a portent.
- dodgy (adjective): evasive and shifty
- dodo (noun): A large, flightless bird, †Raphus cucullatus, related to the pigeon, that is now extinct (since the 1600s) and was native to Mauritius.
- doggo (adverb): Only used in lie doggo.
- doggy (noun): A dog, especially a small one.
- door (noun): A portal of entry into a building, room, or vehicle, consisting of a rigid plane movable on a hinge. Doors are frequently made of wood or metal. May have a handle to help open and close, a latch to hold the door closed, and a lock that ensures the door cannot be opened without the key.
- dopy (adjective): Alternative spelling of dopey
- dory (noun): A small flat-bottomed boat with pointed or somewhat pointed ends, used for fishing both offshore and on rivers.
- droid (noun): A robot, especially one made with some physical resemblance to a human (an android).
- droop (verb): To hang downward; to sag.
- droopy (adjective): Tending to droop; sagging; wilting.
- drop (noun): A small quantity of liquid, just large enough to hold its own round shape through surface tension, especially one that falls from a source of liquid.
- good (adjective): Acting in the interest of what is beneficial, ethical, or moral.
- goody (interjection): Used to indicate pleasure or delight.
- goop (noun): A thick, slimy substance; goo.
- goopy (adjective): Having the consistency of goop.
- gorp (noun): A loose mixture of dried fruit, nuts, frequently salt, and sometimes other ingredients; designed as an energy supplement for use while hiking, climbing, canoeing, etc.
- gory (adjective): Covered with blood; very bloody.
- grody (adjective): nasty, dirty, disgusting, foul, revolting, yucky, grotesque.
- grog (noun): An alcoholic beverage made with rum and water, especially that once issued to sailors of the Royal Navy.
- groggy (adjective): Slowed or weakened, as by drink, sleepiness, etc.
- gyro (noun): A gyroscope.
- odor (noun): Any smell, whether fragrant or offensive.
- opioid (noun): A substance that has effects similar to opium.
- orgy (noun): Originally, secret rites or ceremonies, typically involving riotous and dissolute behaviour, including dancing, drunkenness and indiscriminate sexual activity, undertaken in honour of various pagan gods or goddesses (such as Attis, Bacchus, Ceres, Dionysus, Osiris, etc).
- pogo (verb): To use a pogo stick.
- poop (verb): To make a short blast on a horn.
- poor (adjective): With no or few possessions or money, particularly in relation to contemporaries who do have them.
- poppy (noun): Any plant of the genus Papaver or the family Papaveraceae, with crumpled, often red, petals and a milky juice having narcotic properties; especially the common poppy or corn poppy (Papaver rhoeas) which has orange-red flowers; the flower of such a plant.
- prior (adjective): Advance; previous; coming before.
- priory (noun): A monastery or convent governed by a prior or prioress.
- prod (verb): To poke, to push, to touch.
- prop (noun): An object placed against or under another, to support it; anything that supports.
- pyro (noun): A pyromaniac.
- rigor (noun): US spelling of rigour
- rood (noun): A crucifix, cross, especially in a church.
- ropy (adjective): Resembling rope in appearance or texture, used especially of muscles that are thick or hard to the touch.
- yogi (noun): A devotee or adherent of yoga.