The Unofficial Hive

NYT Spelling Bee answers & analysis

BCELOTI

Tuesday, September 30, 2025

Words
46
Points
204
Genius
142
Pangram
1

Official answers

Show the 46 answersHide answers

Pangram highlighted. Click a word for its definition.

  • belie

    verb — To contradict, to show (something) to be false.

    verb — To give a false representation of.

    verb — To conceal the contradictory or ironic presence of (something).

    verb — To show, evince, demonstrate: to show (something) to be present, particularly something deemed contradictory or ironic.

    verb — To tell lies about.

    verb — (of an army) To surround; beleaguer.

    Appeared in 12 recorded puzzles.

  • belittle

    verb — To knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is, especially as a way of showing contempt or deprecation.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • bibelot

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • bible

    noun — An exemplar of the Bible.

    noun — A comprehensive manual that describes something. (e.g., handyman’s bible).

    noun — (at certain US universities) A compilation of problems and solutions from previous years of a given course, used by some students to cheat on tests or assignments.

    Appeared in 12 recorded puzzles.

  • bile

    noun — A bitter brownish-yellow or greenish-yellow secretion produced by the liver, stored in the gall bladder, and discharged into the duodenum where it aids the process of digestion.

    noun — Bitterness of temper; ill humour; irascibility.

    Appeared in 12 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.

  • billet

    noun — A place where a soldier is assigned to lodge.

    noun — An allocated space or berth in a boat or ship.

    noun — A short piece of wood, especially one used as firewood.

    noun — Berth; position.

    verb — (of a householder etc.) To lodge soldiers, or guests, usually by order.

    noun — A written order to quarter soldiers.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • biotic

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • bite

    verb — To cut into something by clamping the teeth.

    noun — The act of biting.

    noun — The swelling of one's skin caused by an insect's mouthparts or sting.

    noun — A piece of food of a size that would be produced by biting; a mouthful.

    verb — To attack with the teeth.

    verb — (of an insect) To sting.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • bocci

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • boil

    noun — A localized accumulation of pus in the skin, resulting from infection.

    noun — The point at which fluid begins to change to a vapour.

    verb — (of liquids) To heat to the point where it begins to turn into a gas.

    noun — A dish of boiled food, especially based on seafood.

    noun — The collective noun for a group of hawks.

    verb — To cook in boiling water.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • bootie

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • celli

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 11 recorded puzzles.

  • cite

    verb — To quote; to repeat, as a passage from a book, or the words of another.

    noun — A citation

    verb — To list the source(s) from which one took information, words or literary or verbal context.

    verb — To summon officially or authoritatively to appear in court.

    Appeared in 13 recorded puzzles.

  • cocci

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 18 recorded puzzles.

  • coil

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 10 recorded puzzles.

  • colic

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 10 recorded puzzles.

  • collectible

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • collie

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • cootie

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • eclectic

    noun — Someone who selects according to the eclectic method.

    adjective — Selecting a mixture of what appears to be best of various doctrines, methods or styles.

    adjective — Unrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • elicit

    verb — To evoke, educe (emotions, feelings, responses, etc.); to generate, obtain, or provoke as a response or answer.

    adjective — Elicited; drawn out; made real; open; evident.

    verb — To draw out, bring out, bring forth (something latent); to obtain information from someone or something.

    verb — To use logic to arrive at truth; to derive by reason

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • elite

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 9 recorded puzzles.

  • icicle

    noun — A drooping, tapering shape of ice.

    Appeared in 11 recorded puzzles.

  • illicit

    noun — A banned or unlawful item.

    adjective — Not approved by law, but not invalid.

    adjective — Breaking social norms.

    adjective — Unlawful.

    Appeared in 9 recorded puzzles.

  • libel

    noun — A written or pictorial false statement which unjustly seeks to damage someone's reputation.

    verb — To defame someone, especially in a manner that meets the legal definition of libel.

    noun — The act or crime of displaying such a statement publicly.

    noun — A written declaration or statement by the plaintiff of their cause of action, and of the relief they seek.

    noun — Any defamatory writing; a lampoon; a satire.

    noun — A brief writing of any kind, especially a declaration, bill, certificate, request, supplication, etc.

    Appeared in 12 recorded puzzles.

  • libelee

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 12 recorded puzzles.

  • 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.

  • licit

    adjective — Not forbidden by formal or informal rules.

    adjective — Explicitly established or constituted by law.

    Appeared in 9 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 20 recorded puzzles.

  • lite

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 9 recorded puzzles.

  • little

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 9 recorded puzzles.

  • loci

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 10 recorded puzzles.

  • obit

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • oleic

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • olio

    noun — A medley or mixture; a hotchpotch.

    noun — A collection of various musical, theatrical or other artistic works; a miscellany.

    noun — A rich, thick, Spanish stew consisting of meat and vegetables.

    noun — (by extension) Vaudeville or similar miscellaneous musical or theatrical entertainment skits presented between the main acts of burlesque or minstrel shows.

    Appeared in 22 recorded puzzles.

  • ollie

    noun — An aerial maneuver in which one catches air by leaping off the ground with the skateboard and into the air.

    verb — To perform an ollie.

    Appeared in 12 recorded puzzles.

  • tile

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 9 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 20 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 20 recorded puzzles.

  • title

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 9 recorded puzzles.

  • tittle

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 9 recorded puzzles.

  • toil

    noun — Labour, work, especially of a grueling nature.

    verb — To labour; work.

    noun — Trouble, strife.

    noun — (usually in plural) A net or snare; any thread, web, or string spread for taking prey.

    verb — To struggle.

    verb — To work (something); often with out.

    Appeared in 10 recorded puzzles.

  • toile

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • toilet

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • toilette

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

Hints, no spoilers

Words by first two letters

  • be×2
  • bi×7
  • bo×3
  • ce×1
  • ci×1
  • co×6
  • ec×1
  • el×2
  • ic×1
  • il×1
  • li×7
  • lo×1
  • ob×1
  • ol×3
  • ti×5
  • to×4

Words by first letter and length

4567811Σ
b 43311· 12
c 232··1 8
e ·11·1· 3
i ··11·· 2
l 4211·· 8
o 22···· 4
t 422·1· 9
Σ 161310331 46

The numbers

Genius today takes 142 points of 204 available. The average answer runs 5.3 letters.

Total points vs. all 384 recorded puzzles
48th percentile
Word count vs. all recorded puzzles
50th percentile

Word lengths, today vs. 17432 recorded answers

416 today34.6% all-time513 today22.8% all-time610 today20.0% all-time73 today12.1% all-time83 today6.3% all-time92.6% all-time101.2% all-time111 today0.3% all-time120.1% all-time130.0% all-time

History

Today's letters, last seen

LetterLast in a puzzleLast as center
b Tuesday, September 23, 2025 Saturday, September 13, 2025
c Monday, September 29, 2025 Tuesday, September 16, 2025
e Sunday, September 28, 2025 Friday, September 19, 2025
i ● Sunday, September 28, 2025 Friday, September 12, 2025
l Saturday, September 27, 2025 Saturday, September 27, 2025
o Monday, September 29, 2025 Sunday, September 28, 2025
t Monday, September 29, 2025 Tuesday, September 23, 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.