The Unofficial Hive

NYT Spelling Bee answers & analysis

ACHLNTU

Tuesday, July 29, 2025

Words
36
Points
138
Genius
96
Pangram
1

Official answers

Show the 36 answersHide answers

Pangram highlighted. Click a word for its definition.

  • actual

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • annual

    noun — An annual publication; a book, periodical, journal, report, comic book, yearbook, etc., which is published serially once a year, which may or may not be in addition to regular weekly or monthly publication.

    adjective — Happening once every year.

    noun — An annual plant; a plant with a life span of just one growing season; a plant which naturally germinates, flowers and dies in one year. Compare biennial, perennial.

    noun — A medical checkup taking place once a year.

    noun — A pantomime taking place once a year.

    adjective — Of, for, or relating to a whole year, often as a recurring cycle; determined or reckoned by the year; accumulating in the course of a year; performed, executed, or completed over the course of a year. See also circannual.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • annul

    verb — To formally revoke the validity of.

    verb — To dissolve (a marital union) on the grounds that it is not valid.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • aunt

    noun — The sister or sister-in-law of one’s parent.

    noun — A woman of an older generation than oneself, especially a friend of one's parents, by means of fictive kin.

    noun — The female cousin of one’s parent.

    noun — Any elderly woman.

    noun — A procuress or bawd.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • cannula

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • caul

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • clutch

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • cull

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 11 recorded puzzles.

  • cult

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • haul

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • haunch

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • haunt

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • hula

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • hull

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • hunch

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • hunt

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • hutch

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • lacuna

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • launch

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • luau

    noun — An elaborate Hawaiian feast featuring traditional foods and entertainment.

    Appeared in 11 recorded puzzles.

  • lull

    noun — A period of rest or soothing.

    verb — To cause to rest by soothing influences; to compose; to calm

    noun — A period of reduced activity; a respite

    noun — A period without waves or wind.

    noun — An extended pause between sets of waves.

    verb — To become gradually calm; to subside; to cease or abate.

    Appeared in 20 recorded puzzles.

  • lulu

    noun — A remarkable person, object or idea.

    noun — A very attractive or alluring person.

    noun — A very bad mistake or error.

    noun — A fixed allowance paid to a legislator in lieu of reimbursement for actual expenses.

    Appeared in 20 recorded puzzles.

  • luna

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • lunch

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • lunula

    noun — Something shaped like a crescent or half-moon; especially the pale area at the base of the fingernail.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • null

    noun — A non-existent or empty value or set of values.

    verb — To nullify; to annul.

    adjective — Having no validity; "null and void"

    noun — Zero quantity of expressions; nothing.

    noun — Something that has no force or meaning.

    noun — The ASCII or Unicode character (␀), represented by a zero value, that indicates no character and is sometimes used as a string terminator.

    Appeared in 12 recorded puzzles.

  • nuthatch

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • tactual

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • taunt

    noun — A scornful or mocking remark; a jeer or mockery

    verb — To make fun of (someone); to goad (a person) into responding, often in an aggressive manner.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • taut

    adjective — Under tension, like a stretched bowstring, rope, or sail; tight.

    adjective — (of a body, muscles, etc.) Not flabby; firm, toned; (of a person) having a lean, strong body.

    adjective — (of music, writing, etc.) Containing only relevant parts; brief and controlled.

    adjective — (of a sailor, a ship, etc.) Neat and well-disciplined; (by extension) efficient and in order.

    adjective — Experiencing anxiety or stress.

    Appeared in 11 recorded puzzles.

  • tuna

    noun — The edible flesh of the tuna.

    noun — Any of several species of fish of the genus Thunnus in the family Scombridae.

    noun — The prickly pear, a type of cactus native to Mexico in the genus Opuntia.

    noun — The fruit of the cactus.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • tutu

    noun — A ballet skirt made of layered stiff but light netting.

    noun — Any of the genus Coriaria of shrubs and trees found in New Zealand.

    Appeared in 14 recorded puzzles.

  • ulna

    noun — The bone of the forearm that extends from the elbow to the wrist on the side opposite to the thumb, corresponding to the fibula of the hind limb. Also, the corresponding bone in the forelimb of any vertebrate.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • unclutch

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • uncut

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • unlatch

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

unlatch is a perfect pangram — all seven letters, each used exactly once.

Hints, no spoilers

Words by first two letters

  • ac×1
  • an×2
  • au×1
  • ca×2
  • cl×1
  • cu×2
  • ha×3
  • hu×5
  • la×2
  • lu×6
  • nu×2
  • ta×3
  • tu×2
  • ul×1
  • un×3

Words by first letter and length

45678Σ
a 112·· 4
c 3·11· 5
h 431·· 8
l 413·· 8
n 1···1 2
t 31·1· 5
u 11·11 4
Σ 177732 36

The numbers

Genius today takes 96 points of 138 available. The average answer runs 5.1 letters.

Total points vs. all 383 recorded puzzles
19th percentile
Word count vs. all recorded puzzles
27th percentile

Word lengths, today vs. 17359 recorded answers

417 today34.7% all-time57 today22.8% all-time67 today19.9% all-time73 today12.1% all-time82 today6.3% all-time92.6% all-time101.2% all-time110.3% all-time120.1% all-time130.0% all-time

History

Today's letters, last seen

LetterLast in a puzzleLast as center
a Monday, July 28, 2025 Saturday, July 19, 2025
c Sunday, July 27, 2025 Sunday, July 27, 2025
h Tuesday, July 22, 2025 Tuesday, July 22, 2025
l Saturday, July 26, 2025 Saturday, July 26, 2025
n Monday, July 28, 2025 Monday, July 28, 2025
t Sunday, July 27, 2025 Thursday, July 17, 2025
u ● Wednesday, July 23, 2025 first recorded time

Most common answers, all recorded puzzles

  1. noon 42
  2. naan 30
  3. nana 30
  4. onion 29
  5. toot 28
  6. loll 28
  7. mama 25
  8. mamma 25
  9. cocoon 23
  10. loon 23
  11. nene 23
  12. acacia 22
  13. acai 22
  14. bill 22
  15. neon 22
  16. none 22
  17. olio 22
  18. aria 21
  19. onto 21
  20. toon 21
  21. cancan 21
  22. canna 21
  23. lull 20
  24. lulu 20
  25. lilt 20

Valid words the Bee rejected

Dictionary words the Bee never takes

Legitimate words (per the ENABLE list) that fit the letters but aren't official answers — usually judged too obscure.