NYT Spelling Bee Answers for September 16, 2026
Today's NYT Spelling Bee uses center letter P with outer letters D, E, I, N, O, W. The puzzle contains 55 words worth 248 points, including 1 pangram. The longest word is 8 letters. To reach Genius you need 174 points; Queen Bee requires all 248 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
| Center Letter | P |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | d, e, i, n, o, w |
| # of Pangrams | 1 (Perfect: none) |
| Total Words | 55 words |
| Total Points | 248 points |
| Genius Level | 174 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 | Σ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D | 2 | 1 | 3 | - | 2 | 8 |
| E | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | 2 |
| I | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| N | 1 | - | 1 | 1 | - | 3 |
| O | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | - | 6 |
| P | 12 | 4 | 12 | - | 3 | 31 |
| W | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | 5 | Σ | 19 | 8 | 20 | 2 | 6 | 55 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| D | DE×5 DI×1 DO×2 |
|---|---|
| E | EP×2 |
| I | |
| N | NI×2 NO×1 |
| O | OP×6 |
| P | PE×12 PI×11 PO×8 |
| W | WE×2 WI×3 |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| D | DEE×3 DEP×2 DIP×1 DOP×2 |
|---|---|
| E | EPE×1 EPO×1 |
| I | |
| N | NIN×1 NIP×1 NOP×1 |
| O | OPE×2 OPI×4 |
| P | PEE×5 PEN×4 PEO×1 PEP×1 PEW×1 PIE×1 PIN×7 PIP×3 PON×3 POO×2 POP×2 POW×1 |
| W | WEE×2 WIN×1 WIP×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) |
|---|---|---|
| pi...... † | PI8 | The wood of a pine |
| de.. | DE4 | Extending far away from a point of reference, especially downwards. Extending far down from the top, or surface, to the bottom, literally or figuratively. |
| de.... | DE6 | To make deep or deeper |
| de...... | DE8 | simple past tense and past participle of deepen |
| de.... | DE6 | To be contingent or conditioned; to have something as a necessary condition; to hinge on. |
| de...... | DE8 | simple past tense and past participle of depend |
| di.... | DI6 | simple past tense and past participle of dip |
| do.. | DO4 | Any viscous liquid or paste, such as a lubricant, used in preparing a surface. |
| do... | DO5 | Drugged. |
| ep.. | EP4 | A sharp-pointed dueling sword with a bell-shaped guard, used (with the end blunted) in sport fencing. |
| ep... | EP5 | The after song; the part of a lyric ode which follows the strophe and antistrophe. |
| ni..... | NI7 | The wooden pin used in the game of ninepins; a skittle. |
| ni.... | NI6 | simple past tense and past participle of nip |
| no.. | NO4 | No. |
| op.. | OP4 | Not closed. Able to be accessed. Able to have something pass through or along it. |
| op.... | OP6 | simple past tense and past participle of open |
| op... | OP5 | To have or express an opinion; to state as an opinion; to suppose, consider (that). |
| op.... | OP6 | simple past tense and past participle of opine |
| op..... | OP7 | A belief, judgment or perspective that a person has formed, either through objective or subjective reasoning, about a topic, issue, person or thing. |
| op.... | OP6 | A substance that has effects similar to opium. |
| pe.. | PE4 | simple past tense and past participle of pee |
| pe.. | PE4 | The (often spherical) end of the head of a hammer opposite the main hammering end. |
| pe.. | PE4 | A short, soft, high-pitched sound, as made by a baby bird. |
| pe.... | PE6 | simple past tense and past participle of peep |
| pe.... | PE6 | A short or small person; a small object. |
| pe.. | PE4 | To hang down; to cause something to hang down |
| pe.... | PE6 | simple past tense and past participle of pend |
| pe... | PE5 | A type of short, diagonally cut pasta. |
| pe.... | PE6 | simple past tense and past participle of pen |
| pe.. | PE4 | A lowly person; a peasant or serf; a labourer who is obliged to do menial work. |
| pe.... | PE6 | simple past tense and past participle of pep |
| pe... | PE5 | The common American tyrant flycatcher (of the genus Contopus). |
| pi.. | PI4 | Having two or more colors, especially black and white. |
| pi.. | PI4 | Any coniferous tree of the genus Pinus. |
| pi... | PI5 | simple past tense and past participle of pine |
| pi.... | PI6 | A wing. |
| pi...... | PI8 | simple past tense and past participle of pinion |
| pi.... | PI6 | simple past tense and past participle of pin |
| pi...... | PI8 | Any of various large marine mammals belonging to the superfamily (formerly considered a suborder) Pinnipedia comprising walruses, eared seals and earless seals. |
| pi.. | PI4 | Meanings relating to a wind instrument. A wind instrument consisting of a tube, often lined with holes to allow for adjustment in pitch, sounded by blowing into the tube. A tube used to produce sound in an organ; an organ pipe. The key or sound of the voice. A high-pitched sound, especially of a bird. |
| pi... | PI5 | simple past tense and past participle of pipe |
| pi.... | PI6 | A seed |
| po.. | PO4 | An inland body of standing water, either natural or man-made, that is smaller than a lake. |
| po.. | PO4 | A writ in law used by the superior courts to remove cases from inferior courts. |
| po.... | PO6 | simple past tense and past participle of pony |
| po.. | PO4 | To make a short blast on a horn. |
| po.... | PO6 | Tired; exhausted. |
| po.. | PO4 | An honorary title of the Roman Catholic bishop of Rome as father and head of his church, a sovereign of the Vatican city state. Any similarly absolute and 'infallible' authority. Any similar head of a religion. A theocrat, a priest-king, including (at first especially) over the imaginary land of Prester John or (now) in figurative and alliterative uses. An effigy of the pope traditionally burnt in Britain on Guy Fawkes' Day and (occasionally) at other times. Pope Day, the present Guy Fawkes Day. |
| po.... | PO6 | simple past tense and past participle of pop |
| po.... | PO6 | A ritual conducted by a Native American shaman. |
| we.. | WE4 | To cry; to shed tears, especially when accompanied with sobbing or other difficulty speaking, as an expression of emotion such as sadness or joy. |
| we.... | WE6 | A sad or sentimental film, often portraying troubled romance, designed to elicit a tearfully emotional response from its audience. |
| wi...... | WI8 | The trachea. |
| wi.. | WI4 | To move an object over, maintaining contact, with the intention of removing some substance from the surface. |
| wi... | WI5 | simple past tense and past participle of wipe |
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.
- pinewood† (PI8)
- deep (DE4)
- deepen (DE6)
- deepened (DE8)
- depend (DE6)
- depended (DE8)
- dipped (DI6)
- dope (DO4)
- doped (DO5)
- epee (EP4)
- epode (EP5)
- ninepin (NI7)
- nipped (NI6)
- nope (NO4)
- open (OP4)
- opened (OP6)
- opine (OP5)
- opined (OP6)
- opinion (OP7)
- opioid (OP6)
- peed (PE4)
- peen (PE4)
- peep (PE4)
- peeped (PE6)
- peewee (PE6)
- pend (PE4)
- pended (PE6)
- penne (PE5)
- penned (PE6)
- peon (PE4)
- pepped (PE6)
- pewee (PE5)
- pied (PI4)
- pine (PI4)
- pined (PI5)
- pinion (PI6)
- pinioned (PI8)
- pinned (PI6)
- pinniped (PI8)
- pipe (PI4)
- piped (PI5)
- pippin (PI6)
- pond (PO4)
- pone (PO4)
- ponied (PO6)
- poop (PO4)
- pooped (PO6)
- pope (PO4)
- popped (PO6)
- powwow (PO6)
- weep (WE4)
- weepie (WE6)
- windpipe (WI8)
- wipe (WI4)
- wiped (WI5)
Answer Definitions
- pinewood† (noun): The wood of a pine
- deep (adjective): Extending far away from a point of reference, especially downwards. Extending far down from the top, or surface, to the bottom, literally or figuratively.
- deepen (verb): To make deep or deeper
- deepened (verb): simple past tense and past participle of deepen
- depend (verb): To be contingent or conditioned; to have something as a necessary condition; to hinge on.
- depended (verb): simple past tense and past participle of depend
- dipped (verb): simple past tense and past participle of dip
- dope (noun): Any viscous liquid or paste, such as a lubricant, used in preparing a surface.
- doped (adjective): Drugged.
- epee (noun): A sharp-pointed dueling sword with a bell-shaped guard, used (with the end blunted) in sport fencing.
- epode (noun): The after song; the part of a lyric ode which follows the strophe and antistrophe.
- ninepin (noun): The wooden pin used in the game of ninepins; a skittle.
- nipped (verb): simple past tense and past participle of nip
- nope (particle): No.
- open (adjective): Not closed. Able to be accessed. Able to have something pass through or along it.
- opened (verb): simple past tense and past participle of open
- opine (verb): To have or express an opinion; to state as an opinion; to suppose, consider (that).
- opined (verb): simple past tense and past participle of opine
- opinion (noun): A belief, judgment or perspective that a person has formed, either through objective or subjective reasoning, about a topic, issue, person or thing.
- opioid (noun): A substance that has effects similar to opium.
- peed (verb): simple past tense and past participle of pee
- peen (noun): The (often spherical) end of the head of a hammer opposite the main hammering end.
- peep (noun): A short, soft, high-pitched sound, as made by a baby bird.
- peeped (verb): simple past tense and past participle of peep
- peewee (noun): A short or small person; a small object.
- pend (verb): To hang down; to cause something to hang down
- pended (verb): simple past tense and past participle of pend
- penne (noun): A type of short, diagonally cut pasta.
- penned (verb): simple past tense and past participle of pen
- peon (noun): A lowly person; a peasant or serf; a labourer who is obliged to do menial work.
- pepped (verb): simple past tense and past participle of pep
- pewee (noun): The common American tyrant flycatcher (of the genus Contopus).
- pied (adjective): Having two or more colors, especially black and white.
- pine (noun): Any coniferous tree of the genus Pinus.
- pined (verb): simple past tense and past participle of pine
- pinion (noun): A wing.
- pinioned (verb): simple past tense and past participle of pinion
- pinned (verb): simple past tense and past participle of pin
- pinniped (noun): Any of various large marine mammals belonging to the superfamily (formerly considered a suborder) Pinnipedia comprising walruses, eared seals and earless seals.
- pipe (noun): Meanings relating to a wind instrument. A wind instrument consisting of a tube, often lined with holes to allow for adjustment in pitch, sounded by blowing into the tube. A tube used to produce sound in an organ; an organ pipe. The key or sound of the voice. A high-pitched sound, especially of a bird.
- piped (verb): simple past tense and past participle of pipe
- pippin (noun): A seed
- pond (noun): An inland body of standing water, either natural or man-made, that is smaller than a lake.
- pone (noun): A writ in law used by the superior courts to remove cases from inferior courts.
- ponied (verb): simple past tense and past participle of pony
- poop (verb): To make a short blast on a horn.
- pooped (adjective): Tired; exhausted.
- pope (noun): An honorary title of the Roman Catholic bishop of Rome as father and head of his church, a sovereign of the Vatican city state. Any similarly absolute and 'infallible' authority. Any similar head of a religion. A theocrat, a priest-king, including (at first especially) over the imaginary land of Prester John or (now) in figurative and alliterative uses. An effigy of the pope traditionally burnt in Britain on Guy Fawkes' Day and (occasionally) at other times. Pope Day, the present Guy Fawkes Day.
- popped (verb): simple past tense and past participle of pop
- powwow (noun): A ritual conducted by a Native American shaman.
- weep (verb): To cry; to shed tears, especially when accompanied with sobbing or other difficulty speaking, as an expression of emotion such as sadness or joy.
- weepie (noun): A sad or sentimental film, often portraying troubled romance, designed to elicit a tearfully emotional response from its audience.
- windpipe (noun): The trachea.
- wipe (verb): To move an object over, maintaining contact, with the intention of removing some substance from the surface.
- wiped (verb): simple past tense and past participle of wipe