The Unofficial Hive

NYT Spelling Bee answers & analysis

ACNOTUP

Monday, September 29, 2025

Words
30
Points
114
Genius
79
Pangram
1

Official answers

Show the 30 answersHide answers

Pangram highlighted. Click a word for its definition.

  • atop

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • capo

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • capon

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • catnap

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • coop

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • coopt

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • copout

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • coup

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • coupon

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • cuppa

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • cutup

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • occupant

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • output

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • pact

    noun — An agreement; a compact; a covenant.

    verb — To form a pact; to agree formally.

    noun — An agreement between two or more nations

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • pant

    noun — A pair of pants (trousers or underpants).

    verb — To breathe quickly or in a labored manner, as after exertion or from eagerness or excitement; to respire with heaving of the breast; to gasp.

    noun — A quick breathing; a catching of the breath; a gasp.

    noun — Eager longing.

    verb — To long eagerly; to desire earnestly.

    verb — To long for (something); to be eager for (something).

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • papa

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 18 recorded puzzles.

  • pontoon

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • poop

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 11 recorded puzzles.

  • poppa

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 10 recorded puzzles.

  • potato

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • pout

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • punt

    noun — A kick made by a player who drops the ball and kicks it before it hits the ground.

    noun — A pontoon; a narrow shallow boat propelled by a pole.

    verb — To propel a punt or similar craft by means of a pole.

    verb — To equivocate and delay or put off (answering a question, addressing an issue, etc).

    verb — To make the best choice from a set of non-ideal alternatives.

    noun — A wild guess.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • pupa

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • putout

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • putt

    noun — The act of tapping a golf ball lightly on a putting green.

    verb — To lightly strike a golf ball with a putter.

    noun — A regular sound characterized by the sound of "putt putt putt putt...", such as made by some slowly stroking internal combustion engines.

    verb — To make a putting sound.

    verb — To move along slowly.

    noun — A motorcycle.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • tapa

    noun — Any appetizer or snack served in the evening as part of tapas.

    noun — Seasoned slices of dried or cured meat in Filipino cuisine.

    noun — A kind of cloth prepared by the Polynesians from the inner bark of the paper mulberry.

    Appeared in 12 recorded puzzles.

  • topcoat

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • unapt

    adjective — Not apt, inappropriate, unsuited.

    adjective — Unaccustomed.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • uncap

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • upon

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

Hints, no spoilers

Words by first two letters

  • at×1
  • ca×3
  • co×5
  • cu×2
  • oc×1
  • ou×1
  • pa×3
  • po×5
  • pu×4
  • ta×1
  • to×1
  • un×2
  • up×1

Words by first letter and length

45678Σ
a 1···· 1
c 343·· 10
o ··1·1 2
p 8121· 12
t 1··1· 2
u 12··· 3
Σ 147621 30

The numbers

Genius today takes 79 points of 114 available. The average answer runs 5.0 letters.

Total points vs. all 384 recorded puzzles
9th percentile
Word count vs. all recorded puzzles
15th percentile

Word lengths, today vs. 17432 recorded answers

414 today34.6% all-time57 today22.8% all-time66 today20.0% all-time72 today12.1% all-time81 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 Friday, September 26, 2025 Friday, September 26, 2025
c Saturday, September 27, 2025 Tuesday, September 16, 2025
n Sunday, September 28, 2025 Wednesday, September 17, 2025
o Sunday, September 28, 2025 Sunday, September 28, 2025
p ● Thursday, September 25, 2025 Saturday, August 2, 2025
t Sunday, September 28, 2025 Tuesday, September 23, 2025
u Thursday, September 25, 2025 Thursday, September 25, 2025

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.