The Unofficial Hive

NYT Spelling Bee answers & analysis

DGIMNPL

Thursday, August 21, 2025

Words
28
Points
156
Genius
109
Pangram
1

Official answers

Show the 28 answersHide answers

Pangram highlighted. Click a word for its definition.

  • diddling

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • dill

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 18 recorded puzzles.

  • dimpling

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • giggling

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • gild

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • gilding

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • gill

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 12 recorded puzzles.

  • gilling

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • gliding

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • idling

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • limn

    verb — To draw or paint; to delineate.

    verb — To illuminate, as a manuscript; to decorate with gold or some other bright colour.

    Appeared in 9 recorded puzzles.

  • limning

    verb — To draw or paint; to delineate.

    noun — A depiction.

    verb — To illuminate, as a manuscript; to decorate with gold or some other bright colour.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • limp

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • limpid

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • limping

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • lining

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • lipid

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • lipping

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • middling

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • mild

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • mill

    noun — A grinding apparatus for substances such as grains, seeds, etc.

    verb — (followed by around, about, etc.) To move about in an aimless fashion.

    noun — A manufacturing plant for paper, steel, textiles, etc.

    noun — An establishment that handles a certain type of situation or procedure routinely, or produces large quantities of an item without much regard to quality, such as a divorce mill, a puppy mill, etc.

    noun — An institution awarding educational certificates not officially recognised

    noun — The building housing such a grinding apparatus.

    Appeared in 13 recorded puzzles.

  • milling

    verb — (followed by around, about, etc.) To move about in an aimless fashion.

    noun — A circular or random motion of a herd or a crowd.

    verb — To grind or otherwise process in a mill or other machine.

    verb — To shape, polish, dress or finish using a machine.

    verb — To engrave one or more grooves or a pattern around the edge of (a cylindrical object such as a coin).

    verb — To cause to mill, or circle around.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • mingling

    verb — To socialize with different people at a social event.

    verb — To intermix; to combine or join, as an individual or part, with other parts, but commonly so as to be distinguishable in the product

    verb — To become mixed or blended.

    verb — To associate or unite in a figurative way, or by ties of relationship

    verb — To make or prepare by mixing the ingredients of.

    verb — To cause or allow to intermarry

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • niggling

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • piddling

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • piling

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • pill

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 11 recorded puzzles.

  • pilling

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

Hints, no spoilers

Words by first two letters

  • di×3
  • gi×5
  • gl×1
  • id×1
  • li×8
  • mi×5
  • ni×1
  • pi×4

Words by first letter and length

45678Σ
d 1···2 3
g 2··31 6
i ··1·· 1
l 2123· 8
m 2··12 5
n ····1 1
p 1·111 4
Σ 81487 28

The numbers

Genius today takes 109 points of 156 available. The average answer runs 6.2 letters.

Total points vs. all 378 recorded puzzles
25th percentile
Word count vs. all recorded puzzles
10th percentile

Word lengths, today vs. 17142 recorded answers

48 today34.5% all-time51 today22.8% all-time64 today20.0% all-time78 today12.1% all-time87 today6.3% all-time92.5% 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
d Sunday, August 17, 2025 Monday, August 11, 2025
g Saturday, August 16, 2025 Sunday, August 10, 2025
i Tuesday, August 19, 2025 Monday, August 18, 2025
l ● Wednesday, August 20, 2025 Wednesday, August 20, 2025
m Tuesday, August 19, 2025 Friday, July 25, 2025
n Tuesday, August 19, 2025 Friday, August 15, 2025
p Friday, August 15, 2025 Saturday, August 2, 2025

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.