The Unofficial Hive

NYT Spelling Bee answers & analysis

CFILNTO

Tuesday, February 24, 2026

Words
61
Points
243
Genius
170
Pangrams
2

Official answers

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Pangrams highlighted. Click a word for its definition.

  • clot

    noun — A thrombus, solidified mass of blood.

    verb — To form a clot or mass.

    noun — A solidified mass of any liquid.

    noun — A silly person.

    verb — To cause to clot or form into a mass.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • cocci

    noun — Any approximately spherical bacterium.

    noun — Coccidioidomycosis

    noun — One of the carpels or seed-vessels of a dry fruit.

    Appeared in 20 recorded puzzles.

  • cocoon

    noun — The silky protective case spun by the larvae of some insects in which they metamorphose, the pupa.

    verb — To envelop in a protective case

    noun — Any similar protective case, whether real or metaphorical.

    verb — To withdraw into such a case.

    Appeared in 24 recorded puzzles.

  • coffin

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • coif

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • coil

    noun — Something wound in the form of a helix or spiral.

    verb — To wind or reel e.g. a wire or rope into regular rings, often around a centerpiece.

    noun — A noise, tumult, bustle, or turmoil.

    noun — Any intrauterine device (Abbreviation: IUD)—the first IUDs were coil-shaped.

    noun — A coil of electrically conductive wire through which electricity can flow.

    noun — Entanglement; perplexity.

    Appeared in 11 recorded puzzles.

  • coin

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 13 recorded puzzles.

  • colic

    noun — Severe pains that grip the abdomen or the disease that causes such pains (due to intestinal or bowel-related problems).

    adjective — Relating to the colon; colonic.

    noun — A medicinal plant used to relieve such symptoms.

    Appeared in 11 recorded puzzles.

  • colon

    noun — The punctuation mark ":".

    noun — Part of the large intestine; the final segment of the digestive system, after (distal to) the ileum and before (proximal to) the anus.

    noun — A husbandman.

    noun — The triangular colon (especially in context of not being able to type the actual triangular colon).

    noun — A rhetorical figure consisting of a clause which is grammatically, but not logically, complete.

    noun — A clause or group of clauses written as a line, or taken as a standard of measure in ancient manuscripts or texts.

    Appeared in 12 recorded puzzles.

  • colonic

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • colt

    noun — A young male horse.

    verb — To horse; to get with young.

    noun — A young crane (bird).

    noun — A youthful or inexperienced person; a novice.

    noun — A short piece of rope once used by petty officers as an instrument of punishment.

    noun — A young camel or donkey.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • concoct

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 9 recorded puzzles.

  • concoction

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • confit

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • conflict

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • conic

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 13 recorded puzzles.

  • cool

    noun — A moderate or refreshing state of cold; moderate temperature of the air between hot and cold; coolness.

    adjective — Having a slightly low temperature; mildly or pleasantly cold.

    verb — To lose heat, to get colder.

    noun — A calm temperament.

    noun — The property of being cool, popular or in fashion.

    adjective — Allowing or suggesting heat relief.

    Appeared in 20 recorded puzzles.

  • coot

    noun — Any of various aquatic birds of the genus Fulica that are mainly black with a prominent frontal shield on the forehead.

    noun — A foolish or eccentric fellow

    noun — (with the) A success; something excellent.

    noun — Body louse (Pediculus humanus).

    Appeared in 15 recorded puzzles.

  • cotillion

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • cotton

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 9 recorded puzzles.

  • fiction

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • finito

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • foci

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • foil

    noun — A very thin sheet of metal.

    noun — Thin aluminium/aluminum (or, formerly, tin) used for wrapping food.

    verb — To prevent (something) from being accomplished.

    noun — (authorship) In literature, theatre/theater, etc., a character who helps emphasize the traits of the main character and who usually acts as an opponent or antagonist.

    verb — To cover or wrap with foil.

    noun — A very thin sword with a blunted (or foiled) tip

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • folic

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • folio

    noun — (books) A book made of sheets of paper each folded in half (two leaves or four pages to the sheet); hence, a book of the largest kind, exceeding 30 cm in height.

    noun — A leaf of a book or manuscript

    noun — A page of a book, that is, one side of a leaf of a book.

    noun — A page number. The even folios are on the left-hand pages and the odd folios on the right-hand pages.

    verb — To put a serial number on each folio or page of (a book); to page

    noun — A page in an account book; sometimes, two opposite pages bearing the same serial number.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • font

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • fool

    noun — A person with poor judgment or little intelligence.

    verb — To trick; to deceive

    verb — To act in an idiotic manner; to act foolishly

    noun — A jester; a person whose role was to entertain a sovereign and the court (or lower personages).

    noun — A type of dessert made of puréed fruit and custard or cream.

    noun — Buddy, dude, man.

    Appeared in 11 recorded puzzles.

  • foot

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • icon

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 13 recorded puzzles.

  • iconic

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 13 recorded puzzles.

  • infliction

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • info

    noun — Information.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • into

    preposition — To or towards the inside of.

    preposition — To or towards the region of.

    preposition — Against, especially with force or violence.

    preposition — Indicates transition into another form or substance.

    preposition — After the start of.

    preposition — Interested in or attracted to.

    Appeared in 19 recorded puzzles.

  • ionic

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 13 recorded puzzles.

  • liftoff

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • lion

    noun — A big cat, Panthera leo, native to Africa, India and formerly much of Europe.

    adjective — Of the light brown color that resembles the fur of a lion.

    noun — (by extension) Any of various extant and extinct big cats, especially the mountain lion.

    noun — A Chinese foo dog.

    noun — An individual who shows strength and courage, attributes associated with the lion.

    noun — A famous person regarded with interest and curiosity.

    Appeared in 15 recorded puzzles.

  • loci

    noun — A place or locality, especially a centre of activity or the scene of a crime.

    noun — The set of all points whose coordinates satisfy a given equation or condition.

    noun — A fixed position on a chromosome that may be occupied by one or more genes.

    noun — (chiefly in the plural) A passage in writing, especially in a collection of ancient sacred writings arranged according to a theme.

    Appeared in 11 recorded puzzles.

  • loco

    adverb — A direction in written or printed music to be returning to the proper pitch after having played an octave higher or lower.

    noun — A certain species of Astragalus or Oxytropis, capable of causing locoism.

    verb — To poison with the loco plant; to affect with locoism.

    adjective — Crazy.

    noun — A locomotive.

    verb — (by extension) To render insane.

    Appeared in 20 recorded puzzles.

  • loft

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • loin

    noun — The part of the body (of humans and quadrupeds) at each side of the backbone, between the ribs and hips

    noun — Any of several cuts of meat taken from this part of an animal

    Appeared in 15 recorded puzzles.

  • loll

    verb — To act lazily or indolently while reclining; to lean; to lie at ease.

    verb — To hang extended from the mouth, like the tongue of an animal heated from exertion.

    verb — To let (the tongue) hang from the mouth in this way.

    Appeared in 29 recorded puzzles.

  • loon

    noun — An idler, a lout.

    noun — Any of various birds, of the order Gaviiformes, of North America and Europe that dive for fish and have a short tail, webbed feet and a yodeling cry.

    noun — A boy, a lad.

    noun — A harlot; mistress.

    noun — A simpleton.

    noun — A crazy or deranged person.

    Appeared in 24 recorded puzzles.

  • loot

    noun — A kind of scoop or ladle, chiefly used to remove the scum from brine-pans in saltworks.

    noun — The act of plundering.

    verb — To steal, especially as part of war, riot or other group violence.

    noun — Plunder, booty, especially from a ransacked city.

    noun — Any prize or profit received for free, especially Christmas presents

    noun — Items dropped by defeated enemies.

    Appeared in 15 recorded puzzles.

  • lotion

    noun — A low- to medium-viscosity topical preparation intended for application to unbroken skin.

    verb — To cover or treat with a lotion.

    noun — A washing, especially of the skin for the purpose of beautification.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • lotto

    noun — A game of chance similar to bingo

    noun — A lottery

    Appeared in 15 recorded puzzles.

  • nonfiction

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • nonillion

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 15 recorded puzzles.

  • noon

    noun — The ninth hour of the day counted from sunrise; around three o'clock in the afternoon.

    verb — To relax or sleep around midday

    noun — The letter ن in the Arabic script.

    noun — Time of day when the sun is in its zenith; twelve o'clock in the day, midday.

    noun — The corresponding time in the middle of the night; midnight.

    noun — The highest point; culmination.

    Appeared in 44 recorded puzzles.

  • notion

    noun — Mental apprehension of whatever may be known, thought, or imagined; idea, concept.

    noun — A sentiment; an opinion.

    noun — Sense; mind.

    noun — An invention; an ingenious device; a knickknack.

    noun — Any small article used in sewing and haberdashery, either for attachment to garments or as a tool, such as a button, zipper, or thimble.

    noun — Inclination; intention; disposition.

    Appeared in 19 recorded puzzles.

  • octillion

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • 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 24 recorded puzzles.

  • onion

    noun — A monocotyledonous plant (Allium cepa), allied to garlic, used as vegetable and spice.

    noun — The bulb of such a plant.

    noun — The genus as a whole.

    noun — A ball.

    noun — A person from Bermuda or of Bermudian descent.

    Appeared in 31 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 22 recorded puzzles.

  • tinfoil

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • 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 12 recorded puzzles.

  • toll

    noun — Loss or damage incurred through a disaster.

    verb — To impose a fee for the use of.

    noun — The act or sound of tolling

    verb — To ring (a bell) slowly and repeatedly.

    verb — To draw; pull; tug; drag.

    verb — To take away; to vacate; to annul.

    Appeared in 15 recorded puzzles.

  • tonic

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • tool

    noun — A mechanical device intended to make a task easier.

    verb — To work on or shape with tools, e.g., hand-tooled leather.

    noun — Equipment used in a profession, e.g., tools of the trade.

    noun — Something to perform an operation; an instrument; a means.

    noun — A piece of software used to develop software or hardware, or to perform low-level operations.

    noun — A person or group which is used or controlled, usually unwittingly, by another person or group.

    Appeared in 15 recorded puzzles.

  • 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 22 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 30 recorded puzzles.

Hints, no spoilers

Words by first two letters

  • cl×1
  • co×19
  • fi×2
  • fo×7
  • ic×2
  • in×3
  • io×1
  • li×2
  • lo×9
  • no×4
  • oc×1
  • ol×1
  • on×2
  • ti×1
  • to×6

Words by first letter and length

45678910Σ
c 7442111 20
f 5211··· 9
i 311···1 6
l 8111··· 11
n 1·1··11 4
o 21···1· 4
t 51·1··· 7
Σ 311085133 61

The numbers

Genius today takes 170 points of 243 available. The average answer runs 5.3 letters.

Total points vs. all 417 recorded puzzles
67th percentile
Word count vs. all recorded puzzles
85th percentile

Word lengths, today vs. 18854 recorded answers

431 today34.4% all-time510 today23.0% all-time68 today20.0% all-time75 today12.0% all-time81 today6.3% all-time93 today2.6% all-time103 today1.3% all-time110.3% all-time120.1% all-time130.0% all-time

History

Today's letters, last seen

LetterLast in a puzzleLast as center
c Monday, February 23, 2026 Sunday, January 18, 2026
f Thursday, February 12, 2026 Sunday, January 4, 2026
i Monday, February 23, 2026 Sunday, February 8, 2026
l Sunday, February 22, 2026 Sunday, February 22, 2026
n Sunday, February 22, 2026 Wednesday, February 18, 2026
o ● Saturday, February 21, 2026 Thursday, February 5, 2026
t Saturday, February 21, 2026 Monday, February 9, 2026

Most common answers, all recorded puzzles

  1. noon 44
  2. naan 33
  3. nana 33
  4. onion 31
  5. toot 30
  6. loll 29
  7. mama 27
  8. mamma 27
  9. nene 25
  10. cocoon 24
  11. acacia 24
  12. acai 24
  13. loon 24
  14. olio 24
  15. imam 23
  16. maim 23
  17. cancan 23
  18. canna 23
  19. mini 23
  20. minim 23
  21. neon 23
  22. none 23
  23. aria 22
  24. mitt 22
  25. onto 22

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.