The Unofficial Hive

NYT Spelling Bee answers & analysis

CDIOUYL

Tuesday, March 31, 2026

Words
49
Points
178
Genius
124
Pangram
1

Official answers

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Pangram highlighted. Click a word for its definition.

  • clod

    noun — A lump of something, especially of earth or clay.

    verb — To pelt with clods.

    noun — The ground; the earth; a spot of earth or turf.

    noun — A stupid person; a dolt.

    noun — Part of a shoulder of beef, or of the neck piece near the shoulder.

    verb — To throw violently; to hurl.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • cloud

    noun — A rock; boulder; a hill.

    verb — To become foggy or gloomy, or obscured from sight.

    noun — A visible mass of water droplets suspended in the air.

    noun — Any mass of dust, steam or smoke resembling such a mass.

    noun — Anything which makes things foggy or gloomy.

    noun — Anything unsubstantial.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • cloudily

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • cloudy

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • cloy

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • codicil

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 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.

  • cold

    adjective — (of a thing) Having a low temperature.

    noun — A condition of low temperature.

    adverb — While at low temperature.

    adjective — (of the weather) Causing the air to be cold.

    adjective — (of a person or animal) Feeling the sensation of coldness, especially to the point of discomfort.

    adjective — Unfriendly, emotionally distant or unfeeling.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • coldly

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • 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.

  • colloid

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 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.

  • coolly

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • could

    verb — (auxiliary verb, defective) To know how to; to be able to.

    noun — Something that could happen, or could be the case, under different circumstances; a potentiality.

    verb — (modal auxiliary verb, defective) May; to be permitted or enabled to.

    verb — (modal auxiliary verb, defective) To have the potential to; be possible.

    verb — (auxiliary verb, defective) Used with verbs of perception.

    verb — To know.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • coyly

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • cuddly

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • cull

    noun — A selection.

    verb — To pick or take someone or something (from a larger group).

    noun — A fool, gullible person; a dupe.

    noun — An organised killing of selected animals.

    noun — (farming) An individual animal selected to be killed, or item of produce to be discarded.

    noun — (seafood industry) A lobster having only one claw.

    Appeared in 12 recorded puzzles.

  • cyclic

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • diddly

    noun — A small amount of no worth.

    interjection — A written representation of a trill sound.

    noun — (sometimes childish) penis

    Appeared in 8 recorded puzzles.

  • dildo

    noun — An artificial phallus (penis) for sexual use.

    noun — An idiot, a bore.

    Appeared in 10 recorded puzzles.

  • dill

    noun — Anethum graveolens (the type species of the genus Anethum), a herb, the seeds of which are moderately warming, pungent, and aromatic, formerly used as a soothing medicine for children; also known as dillseed.

    verb — To cook or flavor with dill

    verb — To still; to assuage; to calm; to soothe, as one in pain.

    noun — A cucumber pickled with dill flavoring

    noun — A fool.

    Appeared in 19 recorded puzzles.

  • dilly

    adjective — Redolent of dill (the herb).

    noun — Someone or something that is remarkable or unusual.

    noun — A dilly bag.

    noun — A kind of stagecoach.

    Appeared in 8 recorded puzzles.

  • doily

    noun — A small ornamental piece of lace or linen or paper used to protect a surface from scratches by hard objects such as vases or bowls; or to decorate a plate of food.

    noun — An old kind of woollen material.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • doll

    noun — A toy in the form of a human.

    noun — A term of endearment: darling, sweetheart.

    noun — (sometimes offensive) An attractive young woman

    noun — A dollar.

    noun — (now possibly offensive) A good-natured, cooperative or helpful girl.

    noun — The smallest or pet pig in a litter.

    Appeared in 10 recorded puzzles.

  • dolly

    noun — A doll.

    verb — To hit a dolly.

    adjective — Pretty; attractive.

    noun — An offering of fruit or flowers.

    noun — A contrivance for stirring:

    noun — A tool with an indented head for shaping the head of a rivet.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • dull

    verb — To render dull; to remove or blunt an edge or something that was sharp.

    adjective — Lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp.

    verb — To soften, moderate or blunt; to make dull, stupid, or sluggish; to stupefy.

    verb — To lose a sharp edge; to become dull.

    verb — To render dim or obscure; to sully; to tarnish.

    adjective — Boring; not exciting or interesting.

    Appeared in 11 recorded puzzles.

  • dully

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • duly

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • icily

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • idly

    adverb — In an idle manner.

    adverb — Without specific purpose, intent or effort.

    Appeared in 8 recorded puzzles.

  • idol

    noun — A cultural icon, or especially popular person.

    noun — (originally Japan) Popular entertainer; usually young, captivating, attractive; and often female, with an image of being close to fans.

    noun — A graven image or representation of anything that is revered, or believed to convey spiritual power.

    noun — An eidolon or phantom; something misleading or elusive.

    Appeared in 10 recorded puzzles.

  • idyl

    noun — Any poem or short written piece composed in the style of Theocritus' short pastoral poems, the Idylls.

    noun — An episode or series of events or circumstances of pastoral or rural simplicity, fit for an idyll; a carefree or lighthearted experience.

    noun — A composition, usually instrumental, of a pastoral or sentimental character, e.g. Siegfried Idyll by Richard Wagner.

    Appeared in 8 recorded puzzles.

  • idyll

    noun — Any poem or short written piece composed in the style of Theocritus' short pastoral poems, the Idylls.

    noun — An episode or series of events or circumstances of pastoral or rural simplicity, fit for an idyll; a carefree or lighthearted experience.

    noun — A composition, usually instrumental, of a pastoral or sentimental character, e.g. Siegfried Idyll by Richard Wagner.

    Appeared in 8 recorded puzzles.

  • idyllic

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • illy

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 13 recorded puzzles.

  • lily

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 13 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.

  • 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 30 recorded puzzles.

  • loud

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • loudly

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • lucid

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • lucidly

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • lull

    noun — A period of rest or soothing.

    verb — To cause to rest by soothing influences; to compose; to calm

    noun — A period of reduced activity; a respite

    noun — A period without waves or wind.

    noun — An extended pause between sets of waves.

    verb — To become gradually calm; to subside; to cease or abate.

    Appeared in 21 recorded puzzles.

  • lulu

    noun — A remarkable person, object or idea.

    noun — A very attractive or alluring person.

    noun — A very bad mistake or error.

    noun — A fixed allowance paid to a legislator in lieu of reimbursement for actual expenses.

    Appeared in 21 recorded puzzles.

  • oculi

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • oddly

    adverb — In a peculiar manner; strangely; unusually.

    adverb — In a manner measured by an odd number.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • oily

    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.

Hints, no spoilers

Words by first two letters

  • cl×5
  • co×10
  • cu×2
  • cy×1
  • di×4
  • do×3
  • du×3
  • ic×1
  • id×5
  • il×1
  • li×1
  • lo×5
  • lu×4
  • oc×1
  • od×1
  • oi×1
  • ol×1

Words by first letter and length

45678Σ
c 64521 18
d 451·· 10
i 42·1· 7
l 7111· 10
o 22··· 4
Σ 2314741 49

The numbers

Genius today takes 124 points of 178 available. The average answer runs 4.9 letters.

Total points vs. all 438 recorded puzzles
38th percentile
Word count vs. all recorded puzzles
57th percentile

Word lengths, today vs. 19815 recorded answers

423 today34.4% all-time514 today22.9% all-time67 today20.1% all-time74 today12.0% all-time81 today6.2% all-time92.6% 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
c Sunday, March 29, 2026 Thursday, March 12, 2026
d Friday, March 27, 2026 Monday, January 26, 2026
i Sunday, March 29, 2026 Thursday, March 26, 2026
l ● Monday, March 30, 2026 Wednesday, March 25, 2026
o Monday, March 30, 2026 Thursday, March 5, 2026
u Friday, March 27, 2026 Monday, March 23, 2026
y Wednesday, March 25, 2026 Saturday, February 7, 2026

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 28
  8. mamma 28
  9. acacia 26
  10. acai 26
  11. nene 26
  12. mini 25
  13. minim 25
  14. cocoon 24
  15. imam 24
  16. maim 24
  17. onto 24
  18. toon 24
  19. loon 24
  20. olio 24
  21. lilt 23
  22. till 23
  23. tilt 23
  24. aria 23
  25. mitt 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.