The Unofficial Hive

NYT Spelling Bee answers & analysis

CEIMNYL

Saturday, September 27, 2025

Words
30
Points
133
Genius
93
Pangram
1

Official answers

Show the 30 answersHide answers

Pangram highlighted. Click a word for its definition.

  • cell

    noun — The basic unit of a living organism, consisting of a quantity of protoplasm surrounded by a cell membrane, which is able to synthesize proteins and replicate itself.

    noun — A cellular phone.

    noun — A room in a prison or jail for one or more inmates.

    noun — The unit in a statistical array (a spreadsheet, for example) where a row and a column intersect.

    noun — A device which stores electrical power; used either singly or together in batteries; the basic unit of a battery.

    noun — Each of the small hexagonal compartments in a honeycomb.

    Appeared in 13 recorded puzzles.

  • celli

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 11 recorded puzzles.

  • cicely

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • clemency

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • clime

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • clinic

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 15 recorded puzzles.

  • cycle

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • cyclic

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • eely

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • icicle

    noun — A drooping, tapering shape of ice.

    Appeared in 11 recorded puzzles.

  • icily

    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.

  • inclemency

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • incline

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • lenience

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • leniency

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • lice

    noun — A small parasitic wingless insect of the order Psocodea.

    noun — (not usually used in plural form) A contemptible person; one who is deceitful or causes harm.

    Appeared in 11 recorded puzzles.

  • lien

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 12 recorded puzzles.

  • lily

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 13 recorded puzzles.

  • lime

    noun — Any of several green citrus fruit, somewhat smaller and sharper-tasting than a lemon.

    adjective — Lime-green.

    adjective — Containing lime or lime juice.

    adjective — Having the aroma or flavor of lime.

    noun — A brilliant, sometimes yellowish, green colour associated with the fruits of a lime tree.

    noun — Any of the trees that bear limes, especially Key lime, Citrus aurantiifolia.

    Appeared in 8 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.

  • line

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 12 recorded puzzles.

  • linemen

    noun — A player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage

    noun — A person who installs and repairs overhead cables (either power or telephone); a linesman

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • linen

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 12 recorded puzzles.

  • melee

    noun — A noisy, confused or tumultuous fight, argument or scrap.

    noun — Any any confused, disorganised, disordered or chaotic situation.

    noun — A battle fought at close range; hand-to-hand combat; brawling.

    noun — Lively contention or debate, skirmish.

    verb — To physically hit in close quarters, as opposed to shooting, blowing up, or other ranged means of damage. Often refers to the usage of a hand-to-hand weapon.

    noun — A cavalry exercise in which two groups of riders try to cut paper plumes off the helmets of their opponents, the contest continuing until no member of one group retains his plume.

    Appeared in 12 recorded puzzles.

  • mile

    noun — The international mile: a unit of length precisely equal to 1.609344 kilometers established by treaty among Anglophone nations in 1959, divided into 5,280 feet or 1,760 yards.

    noun — One mile per hour, as a measure of speed.

    noun — (travel) An airline mile in a frequent flier program.

    noun — Any of several customary units of length derived from the 1593 English statute mile of 8 furlongs, equivalent to 5,280 feet or 1,760 yards of various precise values.

    noun — Any similarly large distance.

    noun — A race of 1 mile's length; a race of around 1 mile's length (usually 1500 or 1600 meters)

    Appeared in 8 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 14 recorded puzzles.

  • myelin

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • nicely

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • yell

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

Hints, no spoilers

Words by first two letters

  • ce×2
  • ci×1
  • cl×3
  • cy×2
  • ee×1
  • ic×2
  • il×1
  • in×2
  • le×2
  • li×8
  • me×1
  • mi×2
  • my×1
  • ni×1
  • ye×1

Words by first letter and length

4567810Σ
c 133·1· 8
e 1····· 1
i 1111·1 5
l 61·12· 10
m 211··· 4
n ··1··· 1
y 1····· 1
Σ 1266231 30

The numbers

Genius today takes 93 points of 133 available. The average answer runs 5.4 letters.

Total points vs. all 384 recorded puzzles
17th percentile
Word count vs. all recorded puzzles
15th percentile

Word lengths, today vs. 17432 recorded answers

412 today34.6% all-time56 today22.8% all-time66 today20.0% all-time72 today12.1% all-time83 today6.3% all-time92.6% 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
c Wednesday, September 24, 2025 Tuesday, September 16, 2025
e Wednesday, September 24, 2025 Friday, September 19, 2025
i Thursday, September 25, 2025 Friday, September 12, 2025
l ● Friday, September 26, 2025 Wednesday, August 27, 2025
m Friday, September 26, 2025 Wednesday, September 24, 2025
n Thursday, September 25, 2025 Wednesday, September 17, 2025
y Saturday, September 20, 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. acacia 23
  11. acai 23
  12. loon 23
  13. nene 23
  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.