NYT Spelling Bee Answers for October 8, 2026
Today's NYT Spelling Bee uses center letter N with outer letters A, C, E, H, I, M. The puzzle contains 60 words worth 289 points, including 2 pangrams. The longest word is 9 letters. To reach Genius you need 202 points; Queen Bee requires all 289 points. Today is a bingo — every letter starts at least one word. Compared with the eight-year average of about 183 points per puzzle, this is a larger-than-average day.
Game Summary
| Center Letter | N |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | a, c, e, h, i, m |
| # of Pangrams | 2 (Perfect: 1) |
| Total Words | 60 words |
| Total Points | 289 points |
| Genius Level | 202 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 2 | 2 | 2 | - | - | - | 6 |
| C | 2 | 4 | 5 | - | - | - | 11 |
| E | - | 1 | - | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| H | - | 2 | 1 | - | 2 | - | 5 |
| I | 1 | 2 | 2 | - | - | 1 | 6 |
| M | 6 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 | - | 18 |
| N | 6 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | 9 | Σ | 17 | 18 | 15 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 60 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| A | AC×1 AM×1 AN×4 |
|---|---|
| C | CA×5 CH×4 CI×2 |
| E | EC×1 EM×1 EN×3 |
| H | HE×5 |
| I | IC×2 IM×1 IN×3 |
| M | MA×7 ME×4 MI×7 |
| N | NA×3 NE×1 NI×5 |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| A | ACN×1 AME×1 ANE×2 ANI×2 |
|---|---|
| C | CAI×1 CAN×4 CHA×2 CHI×2 CIN×2 |
| E | ECH×1 EMI×1 ENC×1 ENE×1 ENH×1 |
| H | HEI×1 HEN×4 |
| I | ICE×2 IMM×1 INA×1 INC×1 INN×1 |
| M | MAC×1 MAI×1 MAN×5 MEA×2 MEC×1 MEN×1 MIE×1 MIN×6 |
| N | NAA×1 NAM×1 NAN×1 NEN×1 NIA×1 NIC×2 NIE×1 NIN×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) |
|---|---|---|
| ma..... † | MA7 | A device that directs and controls energy, often in the form of movement or electricity, to produce a certain effect. |
| me...... † | ME8 | mechanical; relating to the laws of motion in the art of constructing things |
| ac.. | AC4 | A skin condition, usually of the face, that is common in adolescents. It is characterised by red pimples, and is caused by the inflammation of sebaceous glands through bacterial infection. |
| am.. | AM4 | At the end of religious prayers: so be it. |
| an.... | AN6 | A medical condition in which the capacity of the blood to transport oxygen to the tissues is reduced, either because of too few red blood cells, or because of too little hemoglobin, resulting in pallor and fatigue. |
| an.... | AN6 | Of, pertaining to, or suffering from anemia. |
| an... | AN5 | The soul or animating principle of a living thing, especially as contrasted with the animus. |
| an... | AN5 | An artistic style originating in, and associated with, Japanese animation, and that has also been adopted by a comparatively low number of animated works from other countries. |
| ca.... | CA6 | Any of the relatively small crocodilians of the genus Caiman, within the family Alligatoridae. |
| ca.... | CA6 | A high-kicking chorus line dance originating in France. |
| ca.. | CA4 | A plant with simple stems, like bamboo or sugar cane, or the stem thereof The slender, flexible main stem of a plant such as bamboo, including many species in the grass family Gramineae |
| ca.... | CA6 | Of, or pertaining to, a dog or dogs. |
| ca... | CA5 | Any member of the genus Canna of tropical plants with large leaves and often showy flowers. |
| ch... | CH5 | A series of interconnected rings or links usually made of metal. |
| ch.... | CH6 | An opportunity or possibility. |
| ch.. | CH4 | The bottom of a face, the typically jutting jawline below the mouth. |
| ch... | CH5 | Synonym of porcelain, a hard white translucent ceramic made from kaolin, now sometimes distinguished in reference to tableware as fine or good china. |
| ci... | CI5 | A simple saddle girth used in Mexico. |
| ci.... | CI6 | A movie theatre, a movie house |
| ec....... | EC9 | Any of several plants, of genus Echinacea, having pinkish-purple flowers. |
| em...... | EM8 | Someone of high rank, reputation or social status. |
| en..... | EN7 | To restrain with, or as if with, chains. |
| en... | EN5 | An injection of fluid into the large intestine by way of the rectum, usually for medical purposes. |
| en..... | EN7 | To lift, raise up. |
| he.... | HE6 | The buttocks. |
| he... | HE5 | from here, from this place, away |
| he...... | HE8 | A loyal and trusted follower or subordinate. |
| he...... | HE8 | plural of henchman |
| he... | HE5 | A shrub, Lawsonia inermis, having fragrant reddish flowers |
| ic.... | IC6 | A person who trades in ice; a person employed to deliver block ice. |
| ic.... | IC6 | plural of iceman |
| im....... | IM9 | The state or condition of being about to happen; imminent quality. |
| in... | IN5 | Lacking sense or meaning (often to the point of boredom or annoyance) |
| in.. | IN4 | A unit of length equal to one twelfth of a foot, or exactly 2.54 centimetres. |
| in... | IN5 | A navel that is formed of a hollow in the abdomen (as opposed to one that protrudes from the abdomen). |
| ma.. | MA4 | Of chief or leading importance; prime, principal. |
| ma.. | MA4 | Longer hair growth on back of neck of an animal, especially a horse or lion |
| ma... | MA5 | Violent derangement of mind; madness; insanity. |
| ma.... | MA6 | An insane person, especially one who suffers from a mania. |
| ma... | MA5 | Of or pertaining to someone who exhibits mania or craziness; wicked. |
| ma... | MA5 | Food miraculously produced for the Israelites in the desert in the book of Exodus. |
| me.. | ME4 | To intend. To intend, to plan (to do); to have as one's intention. |
| me.... | ME6 | A mean (unkind or miserly) person; a killjoy. |
| me.... | ME6 | A perceived threat or danger. |
| mi.. | MI4 | Demeanor; facial expression or attitude, especially one which is intended by its bearer. |
| mi... | MI5 | Finely chopped meat; minced meat. |
| mi.. | MI4 | That which belongs to me. Used predicatively. |
| mi.. | MI4 | Miniature, tiny, small. |
| mi..... | MI7 | A small movie camera. |
| mi... | MI5 | A half note, drawn as a semibreve with a stem. |
| mi.... | MI6 | plural of minimum |
| na.. | NA4 | A type of round, flat bread baked in a tandoor popular in South and Central Asian cuisine. |
| na.. | NA4 | Any nounal word or phrase which indicates a particular person, place, class, or thing. |
| na.. | NA4 | A banana. |
| ne.. | NE4 | The Hawaiian goose, Branta sandvicensis, which was designated the state bird of Hawaii in 1957. |
| ni.... | NI6 | A water-soluble vitamin, a component of vitamin B complex, found in meat, yeast, and dairy products; it is essential to metabolism. |
| ni.. | NI4 | Pleasant, satisfactory. |
| ni... | NI5 | A cavity, hollow, or recess, generally within the thickness of a wall, for a statue, bust, or other erect ornament. |
| ni... | NI5 | A daughter of one’s sibling, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law; either the daughter of one's brother ("fraternal niece"), or of one's sister ("sororal niece"). |
| ni.. | NI4 | NATO & ICAO phonetic alphabet code for the numeral 9. |
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.
- machine† (MA7)
- mechanic† (ME8)
- acne (AC4)
- amen (AM4)
- anemia (AN6)
- anemic (AN6)
- anima (AN5)
- anime (AN5)
- caiman (CA6)
- cancan (CA6)
- cane (CA4)
- canine (CA6)
- canna (CA5)
- chain (CH5)
- chance (CH6)
- chin (CH4)
- china (CH5)
- cinch (CI5)
- cinema (CI6)
- echinacea (EC9)
- eminence (EM8)
- enchain (EN7)
- enema (EN5)
- enhance (EN7)
- heinie (HE6)
- hence (HE5)
- henchman (HE8)
- henchmen (HE8)
- henna (HE5)
- iceman (IC6)
- icemen (IC6)
- imminence (IM9)
- inane (IN5)
- inch (IN4)
- innie (IN5)
- main (MA4)
- mane (MA4)
- mania (MA5)
- maniac (MA6)
- manic (MA5)
- manna (MA5)
- mean (ME4)
- meanie (ME6)
- menace (ME6)
- mien (MI4)
- mince (MI5)
- mine (MI4)
- mini (MI4)
- minicam (MI7)
- minim (MI5)
- minima (MI6)
- naan (NA4)
- name (NA4)
- nana (NA4)
- nene (NE4)
- niacin (NI6)
- nice (NI4)
- niche (NI5)
- niece (NI5)
- nine (NI4)
Answer Definitions
- machine† (noun): A device that directs and controls energy, often in the form of movement or electricity, to produce a certain effect.
- mechanic† (adjective): mechanical; relating to the laws of motion in the art of constructing things
- acne (noun): A skin condition, usually of the face, that is common in adolescents. It is characterised by red pimples, and is caused by the inflammation of sebaceous glands through bacterial infection.
- amen (adverb): At the end of religious prayers: so be it.
- anemia (noun): A medical condition in which the capacity of the blood to transport oxygen to the tissues is reduced, either because of too few red blood cells, or because of too little hemoglobin, resulting in pallor and fatigue.
- anemic (adjective): Of, pertaining to, or suffering from anemia.
- anima (noun): The soul or animating principle of a living thing, especially as contrasted with the animus.
- anime (noun): An artistic style originating in, and associated with, Japanese animation, and that has also been adopted by a comparatively low number of animated works from other countries.
- caiman (noun): Any of the relatively small crocodilians of the genus Caiman, within the family Alligatoridae.
- cancan (noun): A high-kicking chorus line dance originating in France.
- cane (noun): A plant with simple stems, like bamboo or sugar cane, or the stem thereof The slender, flexible main stem of a plant such as bamboo, including many species in the grass family Gramineae
- canine (adjective): Of, or pertaining to, a dog or dogs.
- canna (noun): Any member of the genus Canna of tropical plants with large leaves and often showy flowers.
- chain (noun): A series of interconnected rings or links usually made of metal.
- chance (noun): An opportunity or possibility.
- chin (noun): The bottom of a face, the typically jutting jawline below the mouth.
- china (noun): Synonym of porcelain, a hard white translucent ceramic made from kaolin, now sometimes distinguished in reference to tableware as fine or good china.
- cinch (noun): A simple saddle girth used in Mexico.
- cinema (noun): A movie theatre, a movie house
- echinacea (noun): Any of several plants, of genus Echinacea, having pinkish-purple flowers.
- eminence (noun): Someone of high rank, reputation or social status.
- enchain (verb): To restrain with, or as if with, chains.
- enema (noun): An injection of fluid into the large intestine by way of the rectum, usually for medical purposes.
- enhance (verb): To lift, raise up.
- heinie (noun): The buttocks.
- hence (adverb): from here, from this place, away
- henchman (noun): A loyal and trusted follower or subordinate.
- henchmen (noun): plural of henchman
- henna (noun): A shrub, Lawsonia inermis, having fragrant reddish flowers
- iceman (noun): A person who trades in ice; a person employed to deliver block ice.
- icemen (noun): plural of iceman
- imminence (noun): The state or condition of being about to happen; imminent quality.
- inane (adjective): Lacking sense or meaning (often to the point of boredom or annoyance)
- inch (noun): A unit of length equal to one twelfth of a foot, or exactly 2.54 centimetres.
- innie (noun): A navel that is formed of a hollow in the abdomen (as opposed to one that protrudes from the abdomen).
- main (adjective): Of chief or leading importance; prime, principal.
- mane (noun): Longer hair growth on back of neck of an animal, especially a horse or lion
- mania (noun): Violent derangement of mind; madness; insanity.
- maniac (noun): An insane person, especially one who suffers from a mania.
- manic (adjective): Of or pertaining to someone who exhibits mania or craziness; wicked.
- manna (noun): Food miraculously produced for the Israelites in the desert in the book of Exodus.
- mean (verb): To intend. To intend, to plan (to do); to have as one's intention.
- meanie (noun): A mean (unkind or miserly) person; a killjoy.
- menace (noun): A perceived threat or danger.
- mien (noun): Demeanor; facial expression or attitude, especially one which is intended by its bearer.
- mince (noun): Finely chopped meat; minced meat.
- mine (pronoun): That which belongs to me. Used predicatively.
- mini (adjective): Miniature, tiny, small.
- minicam (noun): A small movie camera.
- minim (noun): A half note, drawn as a semibreve with a stem.
- minima (noun): plural of minimum
- naan (noun): A type of round, flat bread baked in a tandoor popular in South and Central Asian cuisine.
- name (noun): Any nounal word or phrase which indicates a particular person, place, class, or thing.
- nana (noun): A banana.
- nene (noun): The Hawaiian goose, Branta sandvicensis, which was designated the state bird of Hawaii in 1957.
- niacin (noun): A water-soluble vitamin, a component of vitamin B complex, found in meat, yeast, and dairy products; it is essential to metabolism.
- nice (adjective): Pleasant, satisfactory.
- niche (noun): A cavity, hollow, or recess, generally within the thickness of a wall, for a statue, bust, or other erect ornament.
- niece (noun): A daughter of one’s sibling, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law; either the daughter of one's brother ("fraternal niece"), or of one's sister ("sororal niece").
- nine (numeral): NATO & ICAO phonetic alphabet code for the numeral 9.