The Unofficial Hive

NYT Spelling Bee answers & analysis

ABLTXYI

Saturday, August 9, 2025

Words
36
Points
168
Genius
117
Pangram
1

Official answers

Show the 36 answersHide answers

Pangram highlighted. Click a word for its definition.

  • ability

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • alibi

    noun — The plea or mode of defense under which a person on trial for a crime proves or attempts to prove being in another place when the alleged act was committed

    verb — To provide an excuse for.

    verb — To provide an alibi for.

    Appeared in 17 recorded puzzles.

  • alit

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 12 recorded puzzles.

  • ataxia

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • atilt

    adjective — At an angle from the vertical or horizontal.

    adverb — At an angle from the vertical or horizontal; at the point of falling over.

    preposition — Diagonally over or across.

    adverb — Tilting or as if tilting (charging with a lance, like a knight on horseback in a joust).

    Appeared in 12 recorded puzzles.

  • axial

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • axially

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • axilla

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • bail

    noun — Security, usually a sum of money, exchanged for the release of an arrested person as a guarantee of that person's appearance for trial.

    noun — Release from imprisonment on payment of such money.

    verb — To exit quickly.

    verb — To fail to meet a commitment.

    noun — A hoop, ring or handle (especially of a kettle or bucket).

    verb — To secure the release of an arrested person by providing bail.

    Appeared in 17 recorded puzzles.

  • bait

    noun — Any substance, especially food, used in catching fish, or other animals, by alluring them to a hook, snare, trap, or net.

    noun — Anything which allures; something used to lure or entice someone or something into doing something

    verb — To attract with bait; to entice.

    verb — To intentionally annoy, torment, or threaten by constant rebukes or threats; to harass.

    noun — Food containing poison or a harmful additive to kill animals that are pests.

    verb — To affix bait to a trap or a fishing hook or fishing line.

    Appeared in 12 recorded puzzles.

  • battily

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • bialy

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • biaxial

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • biaxially

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • bilabial

    adjective — Articulated with both lips.

    noun — A speech sound articulated with both lips.

    Appeared in 17 recorded puzzles.

  • bill

    noun — A piece of paper money; a banknote.

    noun — A written note of goods sold, services rendered, or work done, with the price or charge; an invoice.

    verb — To charge; to send a bill to.

    noun — A draft of a law, presented to a legislature for enactment; a proposed or projected law.

    noun — The beak of a bird, especially when small or flattish; sometimes also used with reference to a platypus, turtle, or other animal.

    noun — Of a cap or hat: the brim or peak, serving as a shade to keep sun off the face and out of the eyes.

    Appeared in 22 recorded puzzles.

  • billy

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • illy

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 13 recorded puzzles.

  • itty

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • labia

    noun — The folds of tissue at the opening of the vulva, at either side of the vagina.

    noun — A liplike structure; especially one of the two pairs of folds of skin either side of the vulva.

    noun — The lip of a labiate corolla.

    noun — The lip against which pressured air is driven to produce sound in a recorder and in a pipe organ with flue pipes.

    Appeared in 17 recorded puzzles.

  • labial

    adjective — Of or pertaining to the lips or labia.

    adjective — Articulated by the lips, as the consonants b, m and w.

    noun — A consonant articulated by the lips.

    adjective — Of an incisor or canine, on the side facing the lips. See mesial.

    noun — Any of the scales bordering the mouth opening of a reptile.

    noun — An organ pipe having a lip that influences its sound.

    Appeared in 17 recorded puzzles.

  • lability

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • laity

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • laxity

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • liability

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • lilt

    noun — A cheerful or melodious accent when speaking.

    noun — Animated, brisk motion; spirited rhythm; sprightliness.

    noun — A lively song or dance; a cheerful tune.

    verb — To do something rhythmically, with animation and quickness, usually of music.

    verb — To utter with spirit, animation, or gaiety; to sing with spirit and liveliness.

    verb — To sing cheerfully, especially in Gaelic.

    Appeared in 19 recorded puzzles.

  • lily

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 13 recorded puzzles.

  • tail

    noun — The caudal appendage of an animal that is attached to its posterior and near the anus.

    noun — The back, last, lower, or inferior part of anything.

    noun — (chiefly in the plural) The side of a coin not bearing the head; normally the side on which the monetary value of the coin is indicated; the reverse.

    noun — The tail-end of an object, e.g. the rear of an aircraft's fuselage, containing the tailfin.

    verb — To follow and observe surreptitiously.

    noun — The latter part of a time period or event, or (collectively) persons or objects represented in this part.

    Appeared in 12 recorded puzzles.

  • tali

    noun — The bone of the ankle.

    Appeared in 12 recorded puzzles.

  • tallit

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 12 recorded puzzles.

  • taxability

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • taxi

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • tibia

    noun — The inner and usually the larger of the two bones of the leg or hind limb below the knee, the shinbone

    noun — The second segment from the end of an insect's leg, between the femur and tarsus.

    noun — The third segment from the end of an arachnid's leg, between the patella and metatarsus.

    noun — A musical instrument of the flute kind, originally made of the leg bone of an animal.

    Appeared in 12 recorded puzzles.

  • tibial

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • till

    preposition — Until; to, up to; as late as (a given time).

    conjunction — Until, until the time that.

    noun — A cash register.

    noun — A removable box within a cash register containing the money.

    noun — The contents of a cash register, for example at the beginning or end of the day or of a cashier's shift.

    verb — To work or cultivate or plough (soil); to prepare for growing vegetation and crops.

    Appeared in 19 recorded puzzles.

  • tilt

    verb — To slope or incline (something); to slant.

    verb — To be at an angle.

    noun — A slope or inclination.

    noun — The inclination of part of the body, such as backbone, pelvis, head, etc.

    verb — To play worse than usual (often as a result of previous bad luck or losses).

    noun — The controlled vertical movement of a camera, or a device to achieve this.

    Appeared in 19 recorded puzzles.

Hints, no spoilers

Words by first two letters

  • ab×1
  • al×2
  • at×2
  • ax×3
  • ba×3
  • bi×6
  • il×1
  • it×1
  • la×5
  • li×3
  • ta×5
  • ti×4

Words by first letter and length

45678910Σ
a 1322··· 8
b 32·211· 9
i 2······ 2
l 222·11· 8
t 512···1 9
Σ 13864221 36

The numbers

Genius today takes 117 points of 168 available. The average answer runs 5.6 letters.

Total points vs. all 378 recorded puzzles
31st percentile
Word count vs. all recorded puzzles
27th percentile

Word lengths, today vs. 17142 recorded answers

413 today34.5% all-time58 today22.8% all-time66 today20.0% all-time74 today12.1% all-time82 today6.3% all-time92 today2.5% all-time101 today1.2% all-time110.3% all-time120.1% all-time130.0% all-time

History

Today's letters, last seen

LetterLast in a puzzleLast as center
a Wednesday, August 6, 2025 Saturday, July 19, 2025
b Wednesday, August 6, 2025 Thursday, July 31, 2025
i ● Thursday, August 7, 2025 Friday, July 18, 2025
l Friday, August 8, 2025 Saturday, July 26, 2025
t Friday, August 8, 2025 Friday, August 8, 2025
x Friday, July 18, 2025 first recorded time
y Friday, August 8, 2025 first recorded time

Most common answers, all recorded puzzles

  1. noon 41
  2. naan 30
  3. nana 30
  4. onion 28
  5. toot 27
  6. loll 27
  7. mama 24
  8. mamma 24
  9. cocoon 23
  10. nene 23
  11. acacia 22
  12. acai 22
  13. bill 22
  14. loon 22
  15. aria 21
  16. onto 21
  17. toon 21
  18. cancan 21
  19. canna 21
  20. neon 21
  21. none 21
  22. olio 21
  23. anon 20
  24. lull 19
  25. lulu 19

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.