NYT Spelling Bee Answers for November 9, 2026

Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for November 9, 2026

Today's NYT Spelling Bee uses center letter T with outer letters A, B, H, M, O, R. The puzzle contains 62 words worth 239 points, including 1 pangram. The longest word is 9 letters. To reach Genius you need 167 points; Queen Bee requires all 239 points. Today is a bingo — every letter starts at least one word. Compared with the eight-year average of about 184 points per puzzle, this is a larger-than-average day.

Game Summary

Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for November 9, 2026
Center LetterT
Outer Lettersa, b, h, m, o, r
# of Pangrams1 (Perfect: none)
Total Words62 words
Total Points239 points
Genius Level167 points
Bingo?Yes

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 November 9, 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.

456789Σ
A151---7
B62111-11
H31----4
M5222-112
O1-1---2
R12-2--5
T984---21
Σ2620951162

Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints

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

A
AB×2
AO×1
AR×1
AT×3
B
BA×4
BO×5
BR×2
H
HA×3
HO×1
M
MA×5
MO×7
O
OA×1
OR×1
R
RA×1
RO×4
T
TA×7
TH×3
TO×8
TR×3

Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints

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

A
ABB×1
ABO×1
AOR×1
ARH×1
ATH×1
ATO×1
ATT×1
B
BAH×1
BAT×3
BOA×1
BOO×2
BOT×2
BRA×1
BRO×1
H
HAR×1
HAT×2
HOO×1
M
MAH×1
MAM×1
MAR×2
MAT×1
MOA×1
MOO×1
MOR×1
MOT×4
O
OAT×1
ORA×1
R
RAT×1
ROB×1
ROO×1
ROT×2
T
TAB×2
TAR×4
TAT×1
THA×1
THR×2
TOM×2
TOO×2
TOR×4
TRA×1
TRO×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 (†).

Word2L RefDefinition (click to reveal)
ba...... †BA8A room containing a shower and/or bathtub, and a toilet.
ab...AB5The superior or head of an abbey or monastery.
ab...AB5An early termination of a mission, action, or procedure in relation to missiles or spacecraft; the craft making such a mission.
ao...AO5The great artery which carries the blood from the heart to all parts of the body except the lungs; the main trunk of the arterial system.
ar...AR5One who has attained enlightenment; a Buddhist saint.
at....AT6Throbbing.
at..AT4The smallest possible amount of matter which still retains its identity as a chemical element, now known to consist of a nucleus surrounded by electrons.
at...AT5An essential oil extracted from flowers.
ba..BA4The official currency of Thailand, equal to 100 satang.
ba..BA4A tub or pool which is used for bathing: bathtub.
ba.....BA7Alternative spelling of bath mat
bo..BO4A craft used for transportation of goods, fishing, racing, recreational cruising, or military use on or in the water, propelled by oars or outboard motor or inboard motor or by wind.
bo..BO4A heavy shoe that covers part of the leg. A kind of sports shoe worn by players of certain games such as cricket and football.
bo...BO5A small stall for the display and sale of goods.
bo..BO4Each of the two; one and the other; referring to two individuals or items.
bo....BO6The lowest part of anything.
br..BR4A human child. A child who is regarded as mischievous, unruly, spoiled, or selfish.
br...BR5Water in which food (meat or vegetable etc) has been boiled.
ha..HA4A male deer, especially the male of the red deer after his fifth year.
ha..HA4third-person singular simple present indicative form of have
ha...HA5The fundamental form of yoga that focuses on asanas
ho..HO4A derisive cry or shout.
ma.....MA7An epithet granted in India and Tibet to people thought to have great knowledge and love of humanity
ma.....MA7Any species of the extinct genus Mammuthus, of large, usually hairy, elephant-like mammals with long curved tusks and an inclined back, which became extinct with the last retreat of ice age glaciers during the late Pleistocene period, and are known from fossils, frozen carcasses, and Paleolithic cave paintings found in North America and Eurasia.
ma....MA6Any of several large ground-dwelling rodents of the genera Marmota and Cynomys in the squirrel family.
ma..MA4A shop, store.
ma..MA4Clipping of mathematics.
mo..MO4A deep, wide defensive ditch, normally filled with water, surrounding a fortified habitation.
mo..MO4Subject to discussion (originally at a moot); arguable, debatable, unsolved or impossible to solve.
mo....MO6A mixture of lime or cement, sand and water used for bonding building blocks.
mo..MO4A usually nocturnal insect of the order Lepidoptera, distinguished from butterflies by feather-like antennae.
mo...MO5A machine or device that converts other energy forms into mechanical energy, or imparts motion.
mo.......MO9Any vessel driven by an engine (either inboard or outboard), but especially a small one.
mo...MO5A sentence, phrase, or word, forming part of an heraldic achievement.
oa..OA4A solemn pledge or promise that invokes a deity, a ruler, or another entity (not necessarily present) to attest the truth of a statement or sincerity of one's desire to fulfill a contract or promise.
or....OR6Someone who orates or delivers an oration.
ra.....RA7A swiftly repeated knocking sound.
ro...RO5A system of serfdom used in Central Europe, under which a tenant's rent was paid in forced labour.
ro..RO4The part of a plant, generally underground, that anchors and supports the plant body, absorbs and stores water and nutrients, and in some plants is able to perform vegetative reproduction.
ro.....RO7One who or that which rotates.
ro...RO5A rotating part of a mechanical device; for example, in an electric motor, generator, alternator, or pump.
ta...TA5An inhibition or ban that results from social custom or emotional aversion.
ta...TA5A small drum. In traditional music, a small drum played with a single stick, leaving the player's other hand free to play a melody on a three-holed pipe.
ta..TA4Colocasia esculenta, raised as a food primarily for its corm, which distantly resembles potato.
ta...TA5A card game played in various different variations.
ta..TA4Sharp to the taste; acid; sour.
ta....TA6A red compound deposited during wine making; mostly potassium hydrogen tartrate — a source of cream of tartar.
ta....TA6An image made in the skin with ink and a needle.
th..TH4Introducing a clause which is the subject or object of a verb (such as one involving reported speech), or which is a complement to a previous statement.
th....TH6The front part of the neck.
th...TH5To pound or beat rapidly or violently.
to....TO6A widely cultivated plant, Solanum lycopersicum, having edible fruit.
to..TO4A small building (or "vault") for the remains of the dead, with walls, a roof, and (if it is to be used for more than one corpse) a door. It may be partly or wholly in the ground (except for its entrance) in a cemetery, or it may be inside a church proper or in its crypt. Single tombs may be permanently sealed; those for families (or other groups) have doors for access whenever needed.
to..TO4The noise of a horn or whistle.
to...TO5A hard, calcareous structure present in the mouth of many vertebrate animals, generally used for eating.
to...TO5the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible
to..TO4A traditional Japanese lantern.
to..TO4An injury or wrong.
to...TO5A sandwich, served either hot or cold, on an oblong white sandwich roll, derived from Mexican cuisine.
tr..TR4A passenger vehicle for public use that runs on tracks in the road (called a streetcar or trolley in North America).
tr..TR4An ugly old woman, a hag.
tr...TR5An oath, pledge, or promise. A pledge or promise to marry someone. The state of being thus pledged; betrothal, engagement.

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.

  • bathroom†  (BA8)
  • abbot  (AB5)
  • abort  (AB5)
  • aorta  (AO5)
  • arhat  (AR5)
  • athrob  (AT6)
  • atom  (AT4)
  • attar  (AT5)
  • baht  (BA4)
  • bath  (BA4)
  • bathmat  (BA7)
  • boat  (BO4)
  • boot  (BO4)
  • booth  (BO5)
  • both  (BO4)
  • bottom  (BO6)
  • brat  (BR4)
  • broth  (BR5)
  • hart  (HA4)
  • hath  (HA4)
  • hatha  (HA5)
  • hoot  (HO4)
  • mahatma  (MA7)
  • mammoth  (MA7)
  • marmot  (MA6)
  • mart  (MA4)
  • math  (MA4)
  • moat  (MO4)
  • moot  (MO4)
  • mortar  (MO6)
  • moth  (MO4)
  • motor  (MO5)
  • motorboat  (MO9)
  • motto  (MO5)
  • oath  (OA4)
  • orator  (OR6)
  • ratatat  (RA7)
  • robot  (RO5)
  • root  (RO4)
  • rotator  (RO7)
  • rotor  (RO5)
  • taboo  (TA5)
  • tabor  (TA5)
  • taro  (TA4)
  • tarot  (TA5)
  • tart  (TA4)
  • tartar  (TA6)
  • tattoo  (TA6)
  • that  (TH4)
  • throat  (TH6)
  • throb  (TH5)
  • tomato  (TO6)
  • tomb  (TO4)
  • toot  (TO4)
  • tooth  (TO5)
  • torah  (TO5)
  • toro  (TO4)
  • tort  (TO4)
  • torta  (TO5)
  • tram  (TR4)
  • trot  (TR4)
  • troth  (TR5)

Answer Definitions

  • bathroom† (noun): A room containing a shower and/or bathtub, and a toilet.
  • abbot (noun): The superior or head of an abbey or monastery.
  • abort (noun): An early termination of a mission, action, or procedure in relation to missiles or spacecraft; the craft making such a mission.
  • aorta (noun): The great artery which carries the blood from the heart to all parts of the body except the lungs; the main trunk of the arterial system.
  • arhat (noun): One who has attained enlightenment; a Buddhist saint.
  • athrob (adjective): Throbbing.
  • atom (noun): The smallest possible amount of matter which still retains its identity as a chemical element, now known to consist of a nucleus surrounded by electrons.
  • attar (noun): An essential oil extracted from flowers.
  • baht (noun): The official currency of Thailand, equal to 100 satang.
  • bath (noun): A tub or pool which is used for bathing: bathtub.
  • bathmat (noun): Alternative spelling of bath mat
  • boat (noun): A craft used for transportation of goods, fishing, racing, recreational cruising, or military use on or in the water, propelled by oars or outboard motor or inboard motor or by wind.
  • boot (noun): A heavy shoe that covers part of the leg. A kind of sports shoe worn by players of certain games such as cricket and football.
  • booth (noun): A small stall for the display and sale of goods.
  • both (determiner): Each of the two; one and the other; referring to two individuals or items.
  • bottom (noun): The lowest part of anything.
  • brat (noun): A human child. A child who is regarded as mischievous, unruly, spoiled, or selfish.
  • broth (noun): Water in which food (meat or vegetable etc) has been boiled.
  • hart (noun): A male deer, especially the male of the red deer after his fifth year.
  • hath (verb): third-person singular simple present indicative form of have
  • hatha (noun): The fundamental form of yoga that focuses on asanas
  • hoot (noun): A derisive cry or shout.
  • mahatma (noun): An epithet granted in India and Tibet to people thought to have great knowledge and love of humanity
  • mammoth (noun): Any species of the extinct genus Mammuthus, of large, usually hairy, elephant-like mammals with long curved tusks and an inclined back, which became extinct with the last retreat of ice age glaciers during the late Pleistocene period, and are known from fossils, frozen carcasses, and Paleolithic cave paintings found in North America and Eurasia.
  • marmot (noun): Any of several large ground-dwelling rodents of the genera Marmota and Cynomys in the squirrel family.
  • mart (noun): A shop, store.
  • math (noun): Clipping of mathematics.
  • moat (noun): A deep, wide defensive ditch, normally filled with water, surrounding a fortified habitation.
  • moot (adjective): Subject to discussion (originally at a moot); arguable, debatable, unsolved or impossible to solve.
  • mortar (noun): A mixture of lime or cement, sand and water used for bonding building blocks.
  • moth (noun): A usually nocturnal insect of the order Lepidoptera, distinguished from butterflies by feather-like antennae.
  • motor (noun): A machine or device that converts other energy forms into mechanical energy, or imparts motion.
  • motorboat (noun): Any vessel driven by an engine (either inboard or outboard), but especially a small one.
  • motto (noun): A sentence, phrase, or word, forming part of an heraldic achievement.
  • oath (noun): A solemn pledge or promise that invokes a deity, a ruler, or another entity (not necessarily present) to attest the truth of a statement or sincerity of one's desire to fulfill a contract or promise.
  • orator (noun): Someone who orates or delivers an oration.
  • ratatat (noun): A swiftly repeated knocking sound.
  • robot (noun): A system of serfdom used in Central Europe, under which a tenant's rent was paid in forced labour.
  • root (noun): The part of a plant, generally underground, that anchors and supports the plant body, absorbs and stores water and nutrients, and in some plants is able to perform vegetative reproduction.
  • rotator (noun): One who or that which rotates.
  • rotor (noun): A rotating part of a mechanical device; for example, in an electric motor, generator, alternator, or pump.
  • taboo (noun): An inhibition or ban that results from social custom or emotional aversion.
  • tabor (noun): A small drum. In traditional music, a small drum played with a single stick, leaving the player's other hand free to play a melody on a three-holed pipe.
  • taro (noun): Colocasia esculenta, raised as a food primarily for its corm, which distantly resembles potato.
  • tarot (noun): A card game played in various different variations.
  • tart (adjective): Sharp to the taste; acid; sour.
  • tartar (noun): A red compound deposited during wine making; mostly potassium hydrogen tartrate — a source of cream of tartar.
  • tattoo (noun): An image made in the skin with ink and a needle.
  • that (conjunction): Introducing a clause which is the subject or object of a verb (such as one involving reported speech), or which is a complement to a previous statement.
  • throat (noun): The front part of the neck.
  • throb (verb): To pound or beat rapidly or violently.
  • tomato (noun): A widely cultivated plant, Solanum lycopersicum, having edible fruit.
  • tomb (noun): A small building (or "vault") for the remains of the dead, with walls, a roof, and (if it is to be used for more than one corpse) a door. It may be partly or wholly in the ground (except for its entrance) in a cemetery, or it may be inside a church proper or in its crypt. Single tombs may be permanently sealed; those for families (or other groups) have doors for access whenever needed.
  • toot (noun): The noise of a horn or whistle.
  • tooth (noun): A hard, calcareous structure present in the mouth of many vertebrate animals, generally used for eating.
  • torah (noun): the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible
  • toro (noun): A traditional Japanese lantern.
  • tort (noun): An injury or wrong.
  • torta (noun): A sandwich, served either hot or cold, on an oblong white sandwich roll, derived from Mexican cuisine.
  • tram (noun): A passenger vehicle for public use that runs on tracks in the road (called a streetcar or trolley in North America).
  • trot (noun): An ugly old woman, a hag.
  • troth (noun): An oath, pledge, or promise. A pledge or promise to marry someone. The state of being thus pledged; betrothal, engagement.