The Unofficial Hive

NYT Spelling Bee answers & analysis

GILNOWP

Tuesday, February 17, 2026

Words
52
Points
288
Genius
201
Pangrams
2

Official answers

Show the 52 answersHide answers

Pangrams highlighted. Click a word for its definition.

  • gloop

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • glop

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • glopping

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • goop

    noun — (usually uncountable) A thick, slimy substance; goo.

    noun — A silly, stupid, or boorish person.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • lipo

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • lipping

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • lollipop

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • lollop

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • lolloping

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • loop

    noun — A length of thread, line or rope that is doubled over to make an opening.

    noun — A mass of iron in a pasty condition gathered into a ball for the tilt hammer or rolls.

    verb — To form something into a loop.

    noun — The opening so formed.

    noun — A shape produced by a curve that bends around and crosses itself.

    noun — A ring road or beltway.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • looping

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • loping

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • lopping

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • nipping

    verb — To catch and enclose or compress tightly between two surfaces, or points which are brought together or closed; to pinch; to close in upon.

    verb — To make a quick, short journey or errand, usually a round trip.

    noun — The act or sensation of giving a nip.

    verb — To remove by pinching, biting, or cutting with two meeting edges of anything; to clip.

    verb — To blast, as by frost; to check the growth or vigor of; to destroy.

    verb — To annoy, as by nipping.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • opining

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • opinion

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • pigging

    verb — (of swine) to give birth.

    noun — The use of a pig (the device) to clean a pipeline.

    adjective — Damned (used as a mild intensive).

    noun — A small pail, can or ladle with the handle on the side; a lading-can. In the colonial era, some buckets were made like a small barrel, but with one stave left extra long. This stave would be carved into a handle so the bucket could be used as an oversized scoop for scattering grain, slopping the hogs, etc.

    verb — To greedily consume (especially food).

    verb — To huddle or lie together like pigs, in one bed.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • piling

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • pill

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 12 recorded puzzles.

  • pilling

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • pillion

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • pillow

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • pillowing

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • ping

    noun — A high-pitched, short and somewhat sharp sound.

    verb — To make a high-pitched, short and somewhat sharp sound.

    noun — (submarine navigation) A pulse of high-pitched or ultrasonic sound whose echoes provide information about nearby objects and vessels.

    noun — A packet which a remote host is expected to echo, thus indicating its presence.

    noun — An email or other message sent requesting acknowledgement.

    noun — Latency.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • pinging

    verb — To make a high-pitched, short and somewhat sharp sound.

    noun — The sound of a ping.

    verb — (submarine navigation) To emit a signal and then listen for its echo in order to detect objects.

    verb — To send a packet in order to determine whether a host is present, particularly by use of the ping utility.

    verb — (by extension) To send an email or other message to someone in hopes of eliciting a response.

    verb — To flick.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • pining

    verb — To languish; to lose flesh or wear away through distress.

    noun — The act of one who pines.

    verb — To long, to yearn so much that it causes suffering.

    verb — To grieve or mourn for.

    verb — To inflict pain upon; to torment.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • pinion

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • pinioning

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • pinning

    verb — To shape metal by striking it, especially with a peen.

    verb — (often followed by a preposition such as "to" or "on") To fasten or attach (something) with a pin.

    noun — The action of the verb pin in any sense.

    verb — (usually in the passive) To cause (a piece) to be in a pin.

    verb — To pin down (someone).

    verb — To enclose; to confine; to pen; to pound.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • piping

    verb — To play (music) on a pipe instrument, such as a bagpipe or a flute.

    noun — The process of an animal just beginning to break out of its egg; precedes hatching.

    adjective — High-pitched.

    verb — To shout loudly and at high pitch.

    verb — To emit or have a shrill sound like that of a pipe; to whistle.

    verb — Of a metal ingot: to become hollow in the process of solidifying.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • pippin

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 14 recorded puzzles.

  • plop

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • plopping

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • plow

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • plowing

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • pogo

    noun — A dance associated with the 1970s punk rock movement in which participants jump up and down on the spot in the manner of someone riding a pogo stick.

    verb — To use a pogo stick.

    noun — A corndog on a stick.

    noun — The act of lifting the front wheel of the bicycle in the air and jumping up and down on the rear wheel while in a stationary position.

    verb — To dance the pogo.

    verb — To lift the front wheel of the bicycle in the air and jump up and down on the rear wheel while in a stationary position.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • pogoing

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • poling

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • polio

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • poll

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • polling

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • polliwog

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • polo

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • pong

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • pool

    noun — A small and rather deep collection of (usually) fresh water, as one supplied by a spring, or occurring in the course of a stream; a reservoir for water.

    verb — (of a liquid) To form a pool.

    noun — A pool of water used for swimming, usually one which has been artificially constructed.

    noun — (game) A game at billiards, in which each of the players stakes a certain sum, the winner taking the whole; also, in public billiard rooms, a game in which the loser pays the entrance fee for all who engage in the game.

    verb — To put together; contribute to a common fund, on the basis of a mutual division of profits or losses; to make a common interest of.

    noun — A small body of standing or stagnant water; a puddle.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • pooling

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • poop

    noun — Fecal matter, feces.

    verb — To make a short blast on a horn

    noun — A set of data or general information, written or spoken, usually concerning machinery or a process.

    verb — To tire, exhaust. Often used with out.

    noun — The stern of a ship.

    verb — To break seawater with the poop of a vessel, especially the poop deck.

    Appeared in 14 recorded puzzles.

  • pooping

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • poplin

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • popping

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • powwow

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • wiping

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

plowing is a perfect pangram — all seven letters, each used exactly once.

Hints, no spoilers

Words by first two letters

  • gl×3
  • go×1
  • li×2
  • lo×7
  • ni×1
  • op×2
  • pi×15
  • pl×4
  • po×16
  • wi×1

Words by first letter and length

456789Σ
g 21··1· 4
l 2·2311 9
n ···1·· 1
o ···2·· 2
p 10191122 35
w ··1··· 1
Σ 142121743 52

The numbers

Genius today takes 201 points of 288 available. The average answer runs 6.1 letters.

Total points vs. all 452 recorded puzzles
82nd percentile
Word count vs. all recorded puzzles
66th percentile

Word lengths, today vs. 20399 recorded answers

414 today34.5% all-time52 today22.8% all-time612 today20.2% all-time717 today12.0% all-time84 today6.3% all-time93 today2.5% 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
g Sunday, February 15, 2026 Thursday, January 22, 2026
i Sunday, February 15, 2026 Sunday, February 8, 2026
l Friday, February 13, 2026 Friday, February 13, 2026
n Saturday, February 14, 2026 Thursday, February 12, 2026
o Monday, February 16, 2026 Thursday, February 5, 2026
p ● Sunday, February 15, 2026 Monday, February 2, 2026
w Saturday, January 31, 2026 Friday, October 31, 2025

Most common answers, all recorded puzzles

  1. noon 47
  2. naan 38
  3. nana 38
  4. onion 33
  5. toot 32
  6. loll 30
  7. mama 29
  8. mamma 29
  9. nene 28
  10. acacia 27
  11. acai 27
  12. imam 26
  13. maim 26
  14. mini 26
  15. minim 26
  16. onto 25
  17. toon 25
  18. cocoon 24
  19. lilt 24
  20. till 24
  21. tilt 24
  22. aria 24
  23. mitt 24
  24. natant 24
  25. cancan 24

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.