NYT Spelling Bee Answers for September 4, 2026

Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for September 4, 2026

Today's NYT Spelling Bee uses center letter D with outer letters A, E, L, N, Y, Z. The puzzle contains 66 words worth 297 points, including 1 pangram. The longest word is 8 letters. To reach Genius you need 208 points; Queen Bee requires all 297 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 larger-than-average day.

Game Summary

Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for September 4, 2026
Center LetterD
Outer Lettersa, e, l, n, y, z
# of Pangrams1 (Perfect: none)
Total Words66 words
Total Points297 points
Genius Level208 points
Bingo?No

Table of Contents

As you scroll down this page, the clues get progressively more revealing. So scroll slowly!

  1. Spelling Bee Grid
  2. Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
  3. Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
  4. Extra Letter Hints (Incrementally Revealing) 🤯
  5. Today's Complete Solution
  6. Answer Definitions

If you're just here for a list of NYT Spelling Bee answers, Jump down to the answers ↓ (Spoiler Alert!).

Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for September 4, 2026

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.

45678Σ
A122229
D11555127
E221--5
L645-217
N2121-6
Y--2--2
Z------
Σ2214178566

Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints

The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.

A
AD×6
AL×1
AN×2
D
DA×11
DE×13
DY×3
E
ED×1
EL×1
EN×2
EY×1
L
LA×10
LE×7
N
NA×1
NE×5
Y
YE×2
Z

Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints

The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.

A
ADD×5
ADZ×1
ALL×1
ANA×1
ANN×1
D
DAD×1
DAL×2
DAN×3
DAZ×5
DEA×7
DEE×2
DEL×3
DEN×1
DYA×1
DYE×1
DYN×1
E
EDD×1
ELA×1
END×1
ENN×1
EYE×1
L
LAD×6
LAN×3
LAZ×1
LEA×5
LED×1
LEN×1
N
NAD×1
NEE×5
Y
YEL×1
YEN×1
Z

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 ().

Word2L RefDefinition (click to reveal)
an...... AN8Having been subject to analysis; examined closely, carefully considered.
ad...AD5simple past tense and past participle of add
ad....AD6Addendum, any one of two or more numbers or other terms that are to be added together.
ad.....AD7plural of addendum
ad...AD5To earn, earn by labor; earn money or one's living.
ad....AD6simple past and past participle of addle
ad..AD4A cutting tool that has a curved blade set at a right angle to the handle and is used in shaping wood.
al.....AL7simple past tense and past participle of allay
an......AN8simple past tense and past participle of anneal
da...DA5Father.
da..DA4A valley, often in an otherwise hilly area.
da...DA5To waste time in trivial activities, or in idleness; to trifle.
da....DA6To move up and down on one's knee or in one's arms, in affectionate play, usually said of a child.
da.....DA7simple past and past participle of dandle
da...DA5A man very concerned about his physical appearance, refined language, and leisurely hobbies, pursued with the appearance of nonchalance in a cult of self.
da..DA4The state of being dazed
da...DA5In a state of shock or confusion.
da.....DA7In a dazed manner.
da....DA6To confuse the sight of by means of excessive brightness.
da.....DA7simple past tense and past participle of dazzle
de..DE4No longer living.
de....DE6To render less lively; to diminish; to muffle.
de......DE8simple past tense and past participle of deaden
de.....DE7Very accurate in shooting or throwing.
de....DE6Subject to death; mortal.
de..DE4A division, a portion, a share, a part, a piece.
de..DE4A 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).
de..DE4An action or act; something that is done.
de....DE6simple past tense and past participle of deed
de...DE5A period of time before an event occurs; the act of delaying; procrastination; lingering inactivity.
de.....DE7simple past tense and past participle of delay
de..DE4A valley, especially in the form of a natural hollow, small and deep.
de..DE4To disallow or reject.
dy..DY4A set of two elements treated as one; a pair.
dy..DY4simple past tense and past participle of dye
dy..DY4A unit of force in the CGS system; the force required to accelerate a mass of one gram by one centimetre per second per second. Symbol: dyn.
ed..ED4A current of air or water running back, or in an opposite direction to the main current.
el...EL5A genus of large South African antelope (Taurotragus), valued both for its hide and flesh.
en...EN5simple past tense and past participle of end
en....EN6The number nine.
ey..EY4Having eyes.
la..LA4To fill or load (related to cargo or a shipment).
la...LA5simple past and past participle of lade
la...LA5Weighed down with a load, burdened.
la...LA5A deep-bowled spoonlike utensil with a long, usually curved, handle.
la....LA6simple past and past participle of ladle
la..LA4The mistress of a household.
la..LA4The part of Earth which is not covered by oceans or other bodies of water.
la....LA6In possession of land.
la......LA8A female landlord.
la...LA5simple past tense and past participle of laze
le..LE4A 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....LE6Held in place by strips of lead.
le....LE6Made of lead.
le......LE8In a leaden manner.
le....LE6simple past tense and past participle of lean
le..LE4A man; a person.
le..LE4To allow to be used by someone temporarily, on condition that it or its equivalent will be returned.
na..NA4Nothing.
ne..NE4A requirement for something; something needed.
ne....NE6Necessary; being required.
ne....NE6A long, thin, sharp implement usually for piercing as in sewing, embroidery, acupuncture, tattooing, body piercing, medical injections, sutures, etc; or a blunt but otherwise similar implement used for forming loops or knots in crafts such as darning, knitting, tatting, etc.
ne.....NE7Covered or armored with needles.
ne...NE5In need; poor.
ye....YE6simple past tense and past participle of yell
ye....YE6simple past tense and past participle of yen

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.

  • analyzed  (AN8)
  • added  (AD5)
  • addend  (AD6)
  • addenda  (AD7)
  • addle  (AD5)
  • addled  (AD6)
  • adze  (AD4)
  • allayed  (AL7)
  • annealed  (AN8)
  • daddy  (DA5)
  • dale  (DA4)
  • dally  (DA5)
  • dandle  (DA6)
  • dandled  (DA7)
  • dandy  (DA5)
  • daze  (DA4)
  • dazed  (DA5)
  • dazedly  (DA7)
  • dazzle  (DA6)
  • dazzled  (DA7)
  • dead  (DE4)
  • deaden  (DE6)
  • deadened  (DE8)
  • deadeye  (DE7)
  • deadly  (DE6)
  • deal  (DE4)
  • dean  (DE4)
  • deed  (DE4)
  • deeded  (DE6)
  • delay  (DE5)
  • delayed  (DE7)
  • dell  (DE4)
  • deny  (DE4)
  • dyad  (DY4)
  • dyed  (DY4)
  • dyne  (DY4)
  • eddy  (ED4)
  • eland  (EL5)
  • ended  (EN5)
  • ennead  (EN6)
  • eyed  (EY4)
  • lade  (LA4)
  • laded  (LA5)
  • laden  (LA5)
  • ladle  (LA5)
  • ladled  (LA6)
  • lady  (LA4)
  • land  (LA4)
  • landed  (LA6)
  • landlady  (LA8)
  • lazed  (LA5)
  • lead  (LE4)
  • leaded  (LE6)
  • leaden  (LE6)
  • leadenly  (LE8)
  • leaned  (LE6)
  • lede  (LE4)
  • lend  (LE4)
  • nada  (NA4)
  • need  (NE4)
  • needed  (NE6)
  • needle  (NE6)
  • needled  (NE7)
  • needy  (NE5)
  • yelled  (YE6)
  • yenned  (YE6)

Answer Definitions

  • analyzed (adjective): Having been subject to analysis; examined closely, carefully considered.
  • 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
  • adze (noun): A cutting tool that has a curved blade set at a right angle to the handle and is used in shaping wood.
  • allayed (verb): simple past tense and past participle of allay
  • annealed (verb): simple past tense and past participle of anneal
  • daddy (noun): Father.
  • dale (noun): A valley, often in an otherwise hilly area.
  • dally (verb): To waste time in trivial activities, or in idleness; to trifle.
  • 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
  • dandy (noun): A man very concerned about his physical appearance, refined language, and leisurely hobbies, pursued with the appearance of nonchalance in a cult of self.
  • daze (noun): The state of being dazed
  • dazed (adjective): In a state of shock or confusion.
  • dazedly (adverb): In a dazed manner.
  • dazzle (verb): To confuse the sight of by means of excessive brightness.
  • dazzled (verb): simple past tense and past participle of dazzle
  • 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
  • deadeye (adjective): Very accurate in shooting or throwing.
  • deadly (adjective): Subject to death; mortal.
  • 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).
  • deed (noun): An action or act; something that is done.
  • deeded (verb): simple past tense and past participle of deed
  • delay (noun): A period of time before an event occurs; the act of delaying; procrastination; lingering inactivity.
  • delayed (verb): simple past tense and past participle of delay
  • dell (noun): A valley, especially in the form of a natural hollow, small and deep.
  • deny (verb): To disallow or reject.
  • dyad (noun): A set of two elements treated as one; a pair.
  • dyed (verb): simple past tense and past participle of dye
  • dyne (noun): A unit of force in the CGS system; the force required to accelerate a mass of one gram by one centimetre per second per second. Symbol: dyn.
  • eddy (noun): A current of air or water running back, or in an opposite direction to the main current.
  • eland (noun): A genus of large South African antelope (Taurotragus), valued both for its hide and flesh.
  • ended (verb): simple past tense and past participle of end
  • ennead (noun): The number nine.
  • eyed (adjective): Having eyes.
  • 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
  • lady (noun): The mistress of a household.
  • land (noun): The part of Earth which is not covered by oceans or other bodies of water.
  • landed (adjective): In possession of land.
  • landlady (noun): A female landlord.
  • lazed (verb): simple past tense and past participle of laze
  • 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.
  • leadenly (adverb): In a leaden manner.
  • leaned (verb): simple past tense and past participle of lean
  • lede (noun): A man; a person.
  • lend (verb): To allow to be used by someone temporarily, on condition that it or its equivalent will be returned.
  • nada (pronoun): Nothing.
  • need (noun): A requirement for something; something needed.
  • needed (adjective): Necessary; being required.
  • needle (noun): A long, thin, sharp implement usually for piercing as in sewing, embroidery, acupuncture, tattooing, body piercing, medical injections, sutures, etc; or a blunt but otherwise similar implement used for forming loops or knots in crafts such as darning, knitting, tatting, etc.
  • needled (adjective): Covered or armored with needles.
  • needy (adjective): In need; poor.
  • yelled (verb): simple past tense and past participle of yell
  • yenned (verb): simple past tense and past participle of yen