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

    noun — A tropical American evergreen shrub, Bixa orellana; the lipstick tree; the fruit of the tree.

    noun — The seed of this tree used as a colouring or in Latin American cooking.

    noun — An orange-red dye obtained from this seed.

    Appeared in 11 recorded puzzles.

  • annotator

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • aorta

    noun — The great artery which carries the blood from the heart to all parts of the body except the lungs; the main trunk of the arterial system.

    noun — The liveliest part of something.

    Appeared in 5 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

    adjective — Utter; complete (with a negative sense).

    adjective — Straying from the proper course or standard, or outside established limits.

    adjective — Wandering; roving around.

    adjective — Prone to making errors; misbehaved.

    adjective — Utter, complete (negative); arrant.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • arrowroot

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • 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 15 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 11 recorded puzzles.

  • hatha

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 11 recorded puzzles.

  • hawthorn

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • hoot

    noun — A derisive cry or shout.

    verb — To cry out or shout in contempt.

    noun — The cry of an owl.

    noun — A fun event or person. (See hootenanny)

    noun — A small particle.

    verb — To make the cry of an owl, a hoo.

    Appeared in 14 recorded puzzles.

  • narrator

    noun — One who narrates or tells stories.

    noun — The person or the "voice" whose viewpoint is used in telling a story.

    noun — The person providing the voice-over in a documentary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • natant

    adjective — Floating or swimming (in water)

    adjective — In a horizontal position, as if swimming

    Appeared in 22 recorded puzzles.

  • nonart

    noun — That which is not art

    Appeared in 4 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 4 recorded puzzles.

  • oath

    noun — A solemn pledge or promise, appealing to a deity, a ruler, or another entity (not necessarily present) to attest to the truth of a statement or sincerity of one's desire to fulfill a contract or promise.

    verb — To pledge.

    noun — A statement or promise which is strengthened (affirmed) by such a pledge.

    noun — A light, irreverent or insulting appeal to a deity or other entity.

    noun — A curse, a curse word.

    Appeared in 9 recorded puzzles.

  • onto

    adjective — (of a function) Assuming each of the values in its codomain; having its range equal to its codomain.

    preposition — Upon; on top of.

    preposition — Aware of.

    preposition — Being an onto function with a codomain of (see below).

    Appeared in 24 recorded puzzles.

  • orator

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • rant

    noun — A criticism done by ranting.

    verb — To speak or shout at length in uncontrollable anger.

    noun — A wild, emotional, and sometimes incoherent articulation.

    noun — A type of dance step usually performed in clogs, and particularly (but not exclusively) associated with the English North West Morris tradition. The rant step consists of alternately bringing one foot across and in front of the other and striking the ground, with the other foot making a little hop.

    verb — To criticize by ranting.

    verb — To speak extravagantly, as in merriment.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • ratatat

    noun — A swiftly repeated knocking sound.

    Appeared in 15 recorded puzzles.

  • rattan

    noun — Any of several species of climbing palm of the genus Calamus.

    verb — To beat with a rattan cane.

    noun — The plant used as a material for making furniture, baskets etc.

    noun — (by extension) A cane made from this material.

    Appeared in 6 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 7 recorded puzzles.

  • rotator

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 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 7 recorded puzzles.

  • tantara

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • tantra

    noun — A Hindu or Buddhist religious or esoteric text.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • taro

    noun — Colocasia esculenta, raised as a food primarily for its corm, which distantly resembles potato.

    noun — Any of several other species with similar corms and growth habit in Colocasia, Alocasia etc.

    noun — Food from a taro plant.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • tarot

    noun — (singular or plural) A card game played in various different variations.

    noun — Any of the set of 78 playing cards (divided into five suits, including one of permanent trumps), often used for mystical divination.

    Appeared in 5 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 15 recorded puzzles.

  • tartan

    noun — A kind of woven woollen cloth with a distinctive pattern of coloured stripes intersecting at right angles, associated with Scottish Highlanders, different clans having their own distinctive patterns.

    verb — To clothe in tartan.

    adjective — Having a pattern like a tartan.

    noun — A type of one-masted vessel used in the Mediterranean.

    noun — The pattern associated with such material.

    noun — An individual or a group wearing tartan; a Highlander or Scotsman in general.

    Appeared in 6 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 15 recorded puzzles.

  • tattoo

    noun — An image made in the skin with ink and a needle.

    verb — To apply a tattoo to (someone or something).

    noun — A signal played five minutes before taps (lights out).

    verb — To tap rhythmically on, to drum.

    noun — A breed of pony from India; a pony of that breed.

    noun — A method of decorating the skin by inserting colored substances under the surface with a sharp instrument (usually a solenoid-driven needle).

    Appeared in 17 recorded puzzles.

  • than

    adverb — At that time; then.

    preposition — Introduces a comparison, and is associated with comparatives, and with words such as more, less, and fewer. Typically, it seeks to measure the force of an adjective or similar description between two predicates.

    conjunction — Used in comparisons, to introduce the basis of comparison.

    conjunction — (obsolete outside dialectal, usually used with for) Because; for.

    Appeared in 4 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 11 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

    noun — A cartoon, especially an animated television show.

    noun — A southeast Asian and Australian tree (Toona ciliata or Toona australis) of the mahogany family with fragrant dark red wood and flowers that yield a dye.

    noun — A town.

    noun — A melody.

    noun — A player's avatar or visible character in a massively multiplayer online role-playing game.

    noun — The wood of this tree.

    Appeared in 24 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 32 recorded puzzles.

  • tooth

    noun — A hard, calcareous structure present in the mouth of many vertebrate animals, generally used for eating.

    verb — To provide or furnish with teeth.

    noun — A sharp projection on the blade of a saw or similar implement.

    noun — A projection on the edge of a gear that meshes with similar projections on adjacent gears, or on the circumference of a cog that engages with a chain.

    noun — A projection or point in other parts of the body resembling the tooth of a vertebrate animal.

    noun — A pointed projection from the margin of a leaf.

    Appeared in 14 recorded puzzles.

  • torah

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • torn

    verb — To rend (a solid material) by holding or restraining in two places and pulling apart, whether intentionally or not; to destroy or separate.

    verb — To injure as if by pulling apart.

    verb — To destroy or reduce abstract unity or coherence, such as social, political or emotional.

    verb — To make (an opening) with force or energy.

    verb — (often with off or out) To remove by tearing.

    verb — (of structures, with down) To demolish

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • toro

    noun — A traditional Japanese lantern.

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

    Appeared in 7 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 7 recorded puzzles.

  • torta

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 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 7 recorded puzzles.

  • troth

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • want

    noun — A desire, wish, longing.

    verb — To wish for or desire (something); to feel a need or desire for; to crave or demand.

    noun — (often followed by of) Lack, absence.

    noun — Poverty.

    noun — Something needed or desired; a thing of which the loss is felt.

    noun — A depression in coal strata, hollowed out before the subsequent deposition took place.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • 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

    noun — A type of deformed growth occurring on the skin caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV).

    noun — Any similar growth occurring in plants or animals, such as the parotoid glands in the back of toads.

    noun — Any of the prefixes used in Hungarian notation.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • watt

    noun — In the International System of Units, the derived unit of power; the power of a system in which one joule of energy is transferred per second. Symbol: W

    Appeared in 4 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 4 recorded puzzles.

  • wort

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • 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 429 recorded puzzles
84th percentile
Word count vs. all recorded puzzles
96th percentile

Word lengths, today vs. 19363 recorded answers

426 today34.5% all-time516 today23.0% all-time614 today20.0% all-time78 today12.0% 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 45
  2. naan 35
  3. nana 35
  4. toot 32
  5. onion 31
  6. loll 30
  7. mama 27
  8. mamma 27
  9. nene 26
  10. acacia 25
  11. acai 25
  12. cocoon 24
  13. onto 24
  14. toon 24
  15. mini 24
  16. minim 24
  17. loon 24
  18. olio 24
  19. aria 23
  20. imam 23
  21. maim 23
  22. mitt 23
  23. cancan 23
  24. canna 23
  25. neon 23

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.