The Unofficial Hive

NYT Spelling Bee answers & analysis

AHNORWT

Tuesday, December 16, 2025

Words
69
Points
296
Genius
207
Pangram
1

Official answers

Show the 69 answersHide answers

Pangram highlighted. Click a word for its definition.

  • annatto

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 9 recorded puzzles.

  • annotator

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • aorta

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • arhat

    noun — One who has attained enlightenment; a Buddhist saint.

    noun — One of the stages of the ascetic's spiritual evolution, when all passions (anger, ego, deception, greed, attachment, hatred and ignorance) are destroyed; arhanta.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • arrant

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • arrowroot

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • athwart

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • attar

    noun — An essential oil extracted from flowers.

    noun — A perfume made from this oil.

    Appeared in 13 recorded puzzles.

  • hart

    noun — A male deer, especially the male of the red deer after his fifth year.

    noun — A muscular organ that pumps blood through the body, traditionally thought to be the seat of emotion.

    noun — A red deer or one of related species.

    noun — Emotions, kindness, moral effort, or spirit in general.

    noun — The seat of the affections or sensibilities, collectively or separately, as love, hate, joy, grief, courage, etc.; rarely, the seat of the understanding or will; usually in a good sense; personality.

    noun — Courage; courageous purpose; spirit.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • hath

    verb — To possess, own.

    verb — To hold, as something at someone's disposal.

    verb — Used to state the existence or presence of someone in a specified relationship with the subject.

    verb — To partake of (a particular substance, especially food or drink, or action or activity).

    verb — To be scheduled to attend, undertake or participate in.

    verb — To experience, go through, undergo.

    Appeared in 9 recorded puzzles.

  • hatha

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 9 recorded puzzles.

  • hawthorn

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • hoot

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 10 recorded puzzles.

  • narrator

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • natant

    adjective — Floating or swimming (in water)

    adjective — In a horizontal position, as if swimming

    Appeared in 18 recorded puzzles.

  • nonart

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • north

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • notator

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • oath

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • onto

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 21 recorded puzzles.

  • orator

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • rant

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • ratatat

    noun — A swiftly repeated knocking sound.

    Appeared in 13 recorded puzzles.

  • rattan

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • root

    noun — The part of a plant, generally underground, that anchors and supports the plant body, absorbs and stores water and nutrients, and in some plants is able to perform vegetative reproduction.

    verb — To grow roots; to enter the earth, as roots; to take root and begin to grow.

    noun — An act of sexual intercourse.

    verb — To turn up or dig with the snout.

    verb — (with "for" or "on") To cheer (on); to show support (for) and hope for the success of. (See root for.)

    noun — A root vegetable.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • rotator

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • rotor

    noun — A rotating part of a mechanical device, for example in an electric motor, generator, alternator or pump.

    noun — The wing of a helicopter or similar aircraft.

    noun — A quantity having magnitude, direction and position.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • tantara

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • tantra

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • taro

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • tarot

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • tart

    adjective — Sharp to the taste; acid; sour.

    noun — A type of small open pie, or piece of pastry, containing jelly or conserve; a sort of fruit pie.

    noun — A prostitute.

    verb — To practice prostitution

    adjective — (of wine) high or too high in acidity.

    adjective — Sharp; keen; severe.

    Appeared in 13 recorded puzzles.

  • tartan

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • tartar

    noun — A red compound deposited during wine making; mostly potassium hydrogen tartrate - a source of cream of tartar.

    noun — A fearsome or angrily violent person.

    noun — A hard yellow deposit on the teeth.

    Appeared in 13 recorded puzzles.

  • tattoo

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 14 recorded puzzles.

  • than

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • that

    noun — Something being indicated that is there; one of those.

    adverb — (degree) To a given extent or degree.

    pronoun — (demonstrative) The thing, person, idea, quality, event, action or time indicated or understood from context, especially if more remote geographically, temporally or mentally than one designated as "this", or if expressing distinction.

    conjunction — Introducing a clause which is the subject or object of a verb (such as one involving reported speech), or which is a complement to a previous statement.

    adverb — (degree) To a great extent or degree; very, particularly (in negative constructions).

    adverb — To such an extent; so. (in positive constructions).

    Appeared in 9 recorded puzzles.

  • thaw

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • thorn

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • throat

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • throw

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • thrown

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • thwart

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • toon

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 21 recorded puzzles.

  • toot

    noun — The noise of a horn or whistle.

    verb — To stand out, or be prominent.

    noun — A toilet.

    noun — (by extension) A fart; flatus.

    noun — Cocaine.

    noun — A portion of cocaine that a person snorts.

    Appeared in 28 recorded puzzles.

  • tooth

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 10 recorded puzzles.

  • torah

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • torn

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • toro

    noun — A traditional Japanese lantern.

    noun — Rapanea salicina, a species of shrub or small tree native to New Zealand.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • tort

    noun — An injury or wrong.

    adjective — Tart; sharp.

    adjective — Stretched tight; taut.

    noun — A tortoise.

    noun — A tortoiseshell (animal with coloured markings on fur).

    noun — A wrongful act, whether intentional or negligent, which causes an injury and can be remedied in civil court, usually through the awarding of damages.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • torta

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • town

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • trot

    noun — Any of several animals related to Equus ferus caballus.

    noun — Heroin (drug).

    noun — An ugly old woman, a hag.

    verb — To move along briskly; specifically, to move at a pace between a walk and a run.

    noun — A genre of Korean pop music employing repetitive rhythm and vocal inflections.

    noun — A supporter of Trotskyism.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • troth

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • want

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • wanton

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • warrant

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • warrantor

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • wart

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • watt

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • what

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • whatnot

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • wont

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • wonton

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • woot

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • wort

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • worth

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • wrath

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • wroth

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

Hints, no spoilers

Words by first two letters

  • an×2
  • ao×1
  • ar×3
  • at×2
  • ha×4
  • ho×1
  • na×2
  • no×3
  • oa×1
  • on×1
  • or×1
  • ra×3
  • ro×3
  • ta×8
  • th×8
  • to×9
  • tr×2
  • wa×6
  • wh×2
  • wo×5
  • wr×2

Words by first letter and length

456789Σ
a ·312·2 8
h 31··1· 5
n ·1211· 5
o 2·1··· 3
r 2112·· 6
t 12771·· 27
w 7322·1 15
Σ 261614823 69

The numbers

Genius today takes 207 points of 296 available. The average answer runs 5.3 letters.

Total points vs. all 388 recorded puzzles
84th percentile
Word count vs. all recorded puzzles
96th percentile

Word lengths, today vs. 17558 recorded answers

426 today34.6% all-time516 today22.8% all-time614 today19.9% all-time78 today12.1% all-time82 today6.3% all-time93 today2.6% 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 Monday, December 15, 2025 Friday, December 12, 2025
h Sunday, December 7, 2025 Wednesday, December 3, 2025
n Monday, December 15, 2025 Monday, November 17, 2025
o Saturday, December 13, 2025 Saturday, December 6, 2025
r Saturday, December 13, 2025 Sunday, November 16, 2025
t ● Saturday, December 13, 2025 Friday, November 7, 2025
w Monday, December 15, 2025 Friday, October 31, 2025

Most common answers, all recorded puzzles

  1. noon 42
  2. onion 30
  3. naan 30
  4. nana 30
  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. olio 23
  15. bill 22
  16. neon 22
  17. none 22
  18. lilt 21
  19. till 21
  20. tilt 21
  21. aria 21
  22. onto 21
  23. toon 21
  24. cancan 21
  25. canna 21

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.