The Unofficial Hive

NYT Spelling Bee answers & analysis

CEFINTG

Wednesday, March 4, 2026

Words
37
Points
246
Genius
172
Pangrams
2

Official answers

Show the 37 answersHide answers

Pangrams highlighted. Click a word for its definition.

  • citing

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • effecting

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • egging

    verb — To throw eggs at.

    verb — To encourage, incite.

    noun — The act of pelting with eggs.

    verb — To dip in or coat with beaten egg.

    verb — To distort a circular cross-section (as in a tube) to an elliptical or oval shape, either inadvertently or intentionally.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • engine

    noun — A large construction used in warfare, such as a battering ram, catapult etc.

    verb — To equip with an engine; said especially of steam vessels.

    noun — A tool; a utensil or implement.

    noun — A complex mechanical device which converts energy into useful motion or physical effects.

    noun — A person or group of people which influence a larger group; a driving force.

    noun — The part of a car or other vehicle which provides the force for motion, now especially one powered by internal combustion.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • enticing

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • feign

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • feigning

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • feinting

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • fencing

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • feting

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • fifing

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • fining

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • fitting

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • gene

    noun — A theoretical unit of heredity of living organisms; a gene may take several values and in principle predetermines a precise trait of an organism's form (phenotype), such as hair color.

    noun — A segment of DNA or RNA from a cell's or an organism's genome, that may take several forms and thus parameterizes a phenomenon, in general the structure of a protein; locus.

    Appeared in 16 recorded puzzles.

  • genetic

    adjective — Relating to genetics or genes.

    adjective — Caused by genes.

    adjective — Of or relating to origin (genesis).

    adjective — Based on shared membership in a linguistic family.

    adjective — Based on a shared membership in a religious family.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • genie

    noun — A jinn, a being descended from the jann, normally invisible to the human eye, but who may also appear in animal or human form.

    noun — A fictional magical being that is typically bound to obey the commands of a mortal possessing its container.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • genii

    noun — Someone possessing extraordinary intelligence or skill; especially somebody who has demonstrated this by a creative or original work in science, music, art etc.

    noun — A jinn, a being descended from the jann, normally invisible to the human eye, but who may also appear in animal or human form.

    noun — Extraordinary mental capacity.

    noun — Inspiration, a mental leap, an extraordinary creative process.

    noun — The tutelary deity or spirit of a place or person.

    noun — A fictional magical being that is typically bound to obey the commands of a mortal possessing its container.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • gent

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 8 recorded puzzles.

  • getting

    verb — (ditransitive) To obtain; to acquire.

    noun — The act of obtaining or acquiring; acquisition.

    verb — To receive.

    verb — (in a perfect construction, with present-tense meaning) To have. See usage notes.

    verb — To fetch, bring, take.

    verb — To become, or cause oneself to become.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • gift

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • gifting

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • gigging

    verb — To fish or catch with a gig, or fish spear.

    verb — To engender.

    verb — To engage in musical performances.

    verb — To make fun of; to make a joke at someone's expense, often condescending.

    verb — To impose a demerit for an infraction of a dress or deportment code.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • ginning

    verb — To remove the seeds from cotton with a cotton gin.

    verb — To begin.

    noun — The act of removing seeds from cotton with a cotton gin.

    verb — To trap something in a gin.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • icing

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • ignite

    verb — To set fire to (something), to light (something)

    verb — To spark off (something), to trigger

    verb — To commence burning.

    verb — To subject to the action of intense heat; to heat strongly; often said of incombustible or infusible substances.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • igniting

    verb — To set fire to (something), to light (something)

    verb — To spark off (something), to trigger

    verb — To commence burning.

    verb — To subject to the action of intense heat; to heat strongly; often said of incombustible or infusible substances.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • inciting

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • infecting

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • inning

    noun — A period of play in which members of a visiting baseball team attempt to hit a baseball pitched by the opposing home team until three players are called out, followed by a similar attempt by members of the home baseball team against the visiting team's pitching. There are nine or more innings in a regulation baseball game.

    verb — To house; to lodge.

    noun — A similar period of play.

    noun — A player (or team)'s turn at the table to make shots until ended by a miss or a foul.

    noun — A chance or opportunity to perform some deed or act.

    noun — The gathering of a crop; harvesting.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • netting

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • teeing

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • tenting

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • tinge

    noun — A small added amount of colour; (by extension) a small added amount of some other thing.

    verb — To add a small amount of colour; to tint; (by extension) to add a small amount of some other thing.

    noun — The degree of vividness of a colour; hue, shade, tint.

    verb — To affect or alter slightly, particularly due to the actual or metaphorical influence of some element or thing.

    verb — To change slightly in shade due to the addition of colour; (by extension) to change slightly in quality due to the addition of some other thing.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • tingeing

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • tinging

    verb — To add a small amount of colour; to tint; (by extension) to add a small amount of some other thing.

    verb — To make a high sharp sound like a small bell being struck.

    verb — To affect or alter slightly, particularly due to the actual or metaphorical influence of some element or thing.

    verb — To change slightly in shade due to the addition of colour; (by extension) to change slightly in quality due to the addition of some other thing.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • tinning

    verb — To place into a tin in order to preserve.

    noun — A covering or lining of tin.

    verb — To cover with tin.

    verb — To coat with solder in preparation for soldering.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • tinting

    verb — To shade, to color.

    noun — The application of a tint or shade of color.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

Hints, no spoilers

Words by first two letters

  • ci×1
  • ef×1
  • eg×1
  • en×2
  • fe×5
  • fi×3
  • ge×6
  • gi×4
  • ic×1
  • ig×2
  • in×3
  • ne×1
  • te×2
  • ti×5

Words by first letter and length

456789Σ
c ··1··· 1
e ··2·11 4
f ·1322· 8
g 32·5·· 10
i ·12·21 6
n ···1·· 1
t ·1141· 7
Σ 3591262 37

The numbers

Genius today takes 172 points of 246 available. The average answer runs 6.5 letters.

Total points vs. all 427 recorded puzzles
69th percentile
Word count vs. all recorded puzzles
29th percentile

Word lengths, today vs. 19259 recorded answers

43 today34.4% all-time55 today22.9% all-time69 today20.0% all-time712 today12.1% all-time86 today6.3% all-time92 today2.6% all-time101.3% all-time110.3% all-time120.1% all-time130.0% all-time

History

Today's letters, last seen

LetterLast in a puzzleLast as center
c Tuesday, March 3, 2026 Sunday, January 18, 2026
e Tuesday, March 3, 2026 Friday, February 6, 2026
f Sunday, March 1, 2026 Sunday, January 4, 2026
g ● Sunday, March 1, 2026 Thursday, January 22, 2026
i Monday, March 2, 2026 Saturday, February 28, 2026
n Monday, March 2, 2026 Monday, March 2, 2026
t Monday, March 2, 2026 Monday, February 9, 2026

Most common answers, all recorded puzzles

  1. noon 45
  2. naan 34
  3. nana 34
  4. toot 32
  5. onion 31
  6. loll 29
  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.