The Unofficial Hive

NYT Spelling Bee answers & analysis

ABLRUYG

Saturday, April 4, 2026

Words
40
Points
161
Genius
112
Pangrams
2

Official answers

Show the 40 answersHide answers

Pangrams highlighted. Click a word for its definition.

  • agar

    noun — A gelatinous material obtained from red algae, especially Gracilaria species, used as a bacterial culture medium, in electrophoresis and as a food additive.

    noun — A culture medium based on this material.

    Appeared in 9 recorded puzzles.

  • alga

    noun — Any of many aquatic photosynthetic organisms, including the seaweeds, whose size ranges from a single cell to giant kelps and whose biochemistry and forms are very diverse, some being eukaryotic.

    Appeared in 9 recorded puzzles.

  • algal

    noun — An alga.

    adjective — Pertaining to, or like, algae

    Appeared in 9 recorded puzzles.

  • arguably

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • arugula

    noun — One of three yellowish-flowered Mediterranean herbs of the mustard family with flavoured leaves, often eaten in salads. Has a distinct, peppery flavor:

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • augur

    noun — A diviner who foretells events by the behaviour of birds or other animals, or by signs derived from celestial phenomena, or unusual occurrences.

    verb — To foretell events; to exhibit signs of future events.

    noun — An official who interpreted omens before the start of public events.

    verb — To anticipate, to foretell, or to indicate a favorable or an unfavorable issue.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • augury

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • baggy

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • brag

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • braggy

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • buggy

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • bulgur

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • bulgy

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • burg

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • burglar

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • burglary

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • gabby

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • gaga

    adjective — Mentally senile.

    noun — A variant of dodgeball played inside a fenced area, usually a hexagon or octagon.

    adjective — Crazy.

    adjective — Infatuated.

    Appeared in 19 recorded puzzles.

  • gala

    noun — Pomp, show, or festivity.

    adjective — Celebratory; festive.

    noun — A member of an androgynous class of priests of the Sumerian goddess Inanna.

    noun — A showy and festive party.

    Appeared in 9 recorded puzzles.

  • gall

    noun — Bile, especially that of an animal; the greenish, profoundly bitter-tasting fluid found in bile ducts and gall bladders, structures associated with the liver.

    verb — To bother or trouble.

    noun — A blister or tumor-like growth found on the surface of plants, caused by burrowing of insect larvae into the living tissues, especially that of the common oak gall wasp Cynips quercusfolii.

    verb — To impregnate with a decoction of gallnuts in dyeing.

    noun — The gall bladder.

    noun — Great misery or physical suffering, likened to the bitterest-tasting of substances.

    Appeared in 9 recorded puzzles.

  • garb

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • gayly

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • glug

    noun — The sound made when a significant amount of liquid is poured suddenly out of something, such as a jug or bottle.

    verb — To flow in noisy bursts.

    noun — The amount of liquid issued when the "glug" sound is heard.

    verb — To quickly swallow liquid.

    Appeared in 9 recorded puzzles.

  • grab

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • grabby

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • gray

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • grub

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • grubby

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • guar

    noun — An annual legume (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba), used as a food for cattle and humans.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • gulag

    noun — A prison camp.

    verb — To force into this prison or a similar system.

    noun — The system of all Soviet prison and/or labor camps in use during the Stalinist period.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • gull

    noun — A seabird of the genus Larus or of the family Laridae.

    noun — A cheating trick; a fraud.

    verb — To deceive or cheat.

    noun — Any of various pierid butterflies of the genus Cepora.

    noun — One easily cheated; a dupe.

    noun — (Oxford University slang) A swindler or trickster.

    Appeared in 9 recorded puzzles.

  • gully

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • guru

    noun — A Hindu or Sikh spiritual teacher.

    noun — (sometimes humorous) An influential advisor or mentor.

    Appeared in 10 recorded puzzles.

  • laggy

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • lallygag

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • raga

    noun — Any of various melodic forms used in Indian classical music, or a piece of music composed in such a form.

    noun — Passion, love, lust.

    Appeared in 9 recorded puzzles.

  • ragbag

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • ragu

    noun — An Italian pasta sauce containing ground meat cooked with sautéed vegetables in tomato sauce or some other kind of liquid.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • rugby

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • ugly

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

Hints, no spoilers

Words by first two letters

  • ag×1
  • al×2
  • ar×2
  • au×2
  • ba×1
  • br×2
  • bu×6
  • ga×6
  • gl×1
  • gr×5
  • gu×5
  • la×2
  • ra×3
  • ru×1
  • ug×1

Words by first letter and length

45678Σ
a 22111 7
b 23211 9
g 1142·· 17
l ·1··1 2
r 211·· 4
u 1···· 1
Σ 1811623 40

The numbers

Genius today takes 112 points of 161 available. The average answer runs 5.0 letters.

Total points vs. all 408 recorded puzzles
29th percentile
Word count vs. all recorded puzzles
38th percentile

Word lengths, today vs. 18455 recorded answers

418 today34.5% all-time511 today22.9% all-time66 today19.9% all-time72 today12.0% all-time83 today6.3% all-time92.6% 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
a Friday, April 3, 2026 Friday, March 27, 2026
b Wednesday, April 1, 2026 Sunday, March 29, 2026
g ● Wednesday, April 1, 2026 Wednesday, March 4, 2026
l Friday, April 3, 2026 Tuesday, March 31, 2026
r Tuesday, March 24, 2026 Wednesday, March 18, 2026
u Wednesday, April 1, 2026 Monday, March 23, 2026
y Thursday, April 2, 2026 Saturday, February 7, 2026

Most common answers, all recorded puzzles

  1. noon 43
  2. naan 32
  3. nana 32
  4. onion 31
  5. toot 29
  6. loll 29
  7. mama 26
  8. mamma 26
  9. nene 25
  10. acacia 24
  11. acai 24
  12. olio 24
  13. cocoon 23
  14. loon 23
  15. neon 23
  16. none 23
  17. aria 22
  18. imam 22
  19. maim 22
  20. cancan 22
  21. canna 22
  22. bill 22
  23. mini 22
  24. minim 22
  25. lilt 21

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.