The Unofficial Hive

NYT Spelling Bee answers & analysis

CFILTYA

Sunday, April 5, 2026

Words
68
Points
348
Genius
243
Pangram
1

Official answers

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Pangram highlighted. Click a word for its definition.

  • acacia

    noun — A shrub or tree of the tribe Acacieae.

    noun — (history) A roll or bag, filled with dust, borne by Byzantine emperors, as a memento of mortality. It is represented on medals.

    noun — The thickened or dried juice of several species in Acacieae, in particular Vachellia nilotica (syn. Acacia nilotica), the Egyptian acacia.

    noun — A false acacia; robinia tree, Robinia pseudoacacia.

    noun — Gum arabic; gum acacia.

    noun — Any of several related trees, such as the locust tree.

    Appeared in 25 recorded puzzles.

  • acai

    noun — The fruit of these trees, harvested for its juice.

    noun — Any of several South American palms, of the genus Euterpe, having a dark purple drupe.

    Appeared in 25 recorded puzzles.

  • acyclic

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • afflict

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • alfalfa

    noun — A plant, principally of Medicago sativa, grown as a pasture crop.

    noun — A type or breed of this plant.

    Appeared in 10 recorded puzzles.

  • alit

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 13 recorded puzzles.

  • allay

    noun — Alleviation; abatement; check.

    verb — To make quiet or put at rest; to pacify or appease; to quell; to calm.

    noun — An alloy.

    verb — To alleviate; to abate; to mitigate.

    verb — To subside, abate, become peaceful.

    verb — To mix (metals); to mix with a baser metal; to alloy; to deteriorate.

    Appeared in 13 recorded puzzles.

  • ally

    noun — A person, group, or state (etc) which is associated with another for a common cause; one united to another by treaty or common purpose; a confederate.

    verb — To unite, or form a connection between, as between families by marriage, or between princes and states by treaty, league, or confederacy.

    noun — A narrow street or passageway, especially one through the middle of a block giving access to the rear of lots or buildings.

    noun — A glass marble or taw.

    noun — A person, group, concept (etc) which is associated with another as a helper; a supporter; an auxiliary.

    noun — Anything akin to something else by structure, etc.

    Appeared in 13 recorded puzzles.

  • atilt

    adjective — At an angle from the vertical or horizontal.

    adverb — At an angle from the vertical or horizontal; at the point of falling over.

    preposition — Diagonally over or across.

    adverb — Tilting or as if tilting (charging with a lance, like a knight on horseback in a joust).

    Appeared in 13 recorded puzzles.

  • attic

    noun — The space, often unfinished and with sloped walls, directly below the roof in the uppermost part of a house or other building, generally used for storage or habitation.

    Appeared in 19 recorded puzzles.

  • cacti

    noun — Any member of the family Cactaceae, a family of flowering New World succulent plants suited to a hot, semi-desert climate.

    noun — Any succulent plant with a thick fleshy stem bearing spines but no leaves, such as euphorbs.

    Appeared in 19 recorded puzzles.

  • calcify

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • calf

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • call

    noun — A telephone conversation.

    verb — (heading) To use one's voice.

    noun — A decision or judgement.

    noun — The characteristic cry of a bird or other animal.

    noun — A cry or shout.

    noun — A short visit, usually for social purposes.

    Appeared in 16 recorded puzzles.

  • calla

    noun — The calla lily, Zantedeschia aethiopica.

    noun — A marsh plant native to cooler areas throughout the northern hemisphere, Calla palustris, having pale green flowers in a white spathe.

    Appeared in 16 recorded puzzles.

  • catalytic

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • catalytically

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • catcall

    noun — A shout or whistle expressing dislike, especially from a crowd or audience; a jeer, a boo.

    verb — To make such an exclamation.

    noun — In the Eiffel programming language, a run-time error caused by use of the wrong data type.

    noun — A shout, whistle, or comment of a sexual nature, usually made toward a passing woman.

    noun — A whistle blown by a theatre-goer to express disapproval.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • cattail

    noun — Any of several perennial herbs, of the genus Typha, that have long flat leaves, and grow in marshy places

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • cattily

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • catty

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • cilia

    noun — Hairs or similar protrusions along the margin of a plant organ.

    noun — A hairlike organelle projecting from a eukaryotic cell (such as a unicellular organism or one cell of a multicelled organism). These structures serve either for locomotion by moving or as sensors.

    noun — One of the fine hairs along an insect's wing.

    Appeared in 12 recorded puzzles.

  • clay

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • cyclical

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • cyclically

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • facial

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • facially

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • facility

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • fact

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • facticity

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • fail

    noun — Poor quality; substandard workmanship.

    verb — To be unsuccessful.

    adjective — That is a failure.

    noun — A piece of turf cut from grassland.

    noun — A failure (condition of being unsuccessful)

    noun — A failure (something incapable of success)

    Appeared in 9 recorded puzzles.

  • fall

    noun — The act of moving to a lower position under the effect of gravity.

    verb — (heading) To be moved downwards.

    noun — The chasing of a hunted whale.

    noun — A reduction in quantity, pitch, etc.

    noun — The time of the year when the leaves typically fall from the trees; autumn; the season of the year between the autumnal equinox and the winter solstice.

    noun — A loss of greatness or status.

    Appeared in 10 recorded puzzles.

  • fallacy

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • fatal

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • fatality

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • fatally

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • fatly

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • fatty

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • fiat

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 8 recorded puzzles.

  • filial

    adjective — Pertaining to or befitting a son or daughter.

    adjective — Respectful of the duties and attitudes of a son or daughter toward their parents.

    adjective — Of a generation or generations descending from a specific previous one.

    Appeared in 9 recorded puzzles.

  • filially

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • flail

    noun — A tool used for threshing, consisting of a long handle with a shorter stick attached with a short piece of chain, thong or similar material.

    verb — To beat using a flail or similar implement.

    noun — A weapon which has the (usually spherical) striking part attached to the handle with a flexible joint such as a chain.

    verb — To wave or swing vigorously

    verb — To thresh.

    verb — To move like a flail.

    Appeared in 9 recorded puzzles.

  • flat

    noun — An area of level ground.

    verb — To make a flat call; to call without raising.

    adjective — Having no variations in height.

    adverb — So as to be flat.

    noun — An apartment, usually on one level and usually consisting of more than one room.

    verb — To beat or strike; pound

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • flatly

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • flay

    noun — A fright; a scare.

    verb — To cause to fly; put to flight; drive off (by frightening).

    verb — To strip skin off

    noun — Fear; a source of fear; a formidable matter; a fearsome or repellent-looking individual.

    verb — To frighten; scare; terrify.

    verb — To be fear-stricken.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • iliac

    adjective — Of or pertaining to the ilium.

    Appeared in 12 recorded puzzles.

  • italic

    noun — A typeface in which the letters slant to the right.

    adjective — (of a typeface or font) Designed to resemble a handwriting style developed in Italy in the 16th century.

    noun — An oblique handwriting style, such as used by Italian calligraphers of the Renaissance.

    adjective — (of a typeface or font) Having letters that slant or lean to the right; oblique.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • lactic

    adjective — Of, relating to, or derived from milk

    adjective — (of fermentation) That produces lactic acid

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • lacy

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • laic

    noun — A layperson, as opposed to a member of the clergy.

    adjective — Lay, relating to laypersons, as opposed to clerical.

    Appeared in 12 recorded puzzles.

  • laical

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 12 recorded puzzles.

  • laity

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • lilac

    noun — A large shrub of the genus Syringa, especially Syringa vulgaris, bearing white, pale-pink or purple flowers.

    adjective — Having a pale purple colour.

    noun — A flower of the lilac shrub.

    noun — (color) A pale purple color, the color of some lilac flowers.

    Appeared in 12 recorded puzzles.

  • tacit

    adjective — Expressed in silence; implied, but not made explicit; silent.

    adjective — Not derived from formal principles of reasoning; based on induction rather than deduction.

    Appeared in 19 recorded puzzles.

  • tacitly

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • tact

    noun — The sense of touch; feeling.

    verb — To use a tact (a kind of verbal operant; see noun sense).

    noun — A maneuver, or action calculated to achieve some end.

    noun — The stroke in beating time.

    noun — Sensitive mental touch; special skill or faculty; keen perception or discernment; ready power of appreciating and doing what is required by circumstances; the ability to say the right thing.

    noun — A verbal operant which is controlled by a nonverbal stimulus (such as an object, event, or property of an object) and is maintained by nonspecific social reinforcement (praise).

    Appeared in 20 recorded puzzles.

  • tactic

    noun — A maneuver, or action calculated to achieve some end.

    adjective — Tactical; of or relating to the art of military and naval tactics.

    noun — A maneuver used against an enemy.

    noun — A sequence of moves that limits the opponent's options and results in an immediate and tangible advantage, typically in the form of material.

    adjective — Describing a polymer whose repeat units are identical.

    Appeared in 19 recorded puzzles.

  • tactical

    noun — A combinator of proof tactics.

    adjective — Of, or relating to tactics

    noun — A private war reenactment event involving mock battles or skirmishes.

    adjective — Of, or relating to military operations that are smaller or more local than strategic ones

    adjective — Adroit, skilful or ingenious

    adjective — Having a military appearance, typically with accessories such as a bipod, adjustable stock, detachable magazine or black coloration

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • tactically

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • tactility

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • taffy

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • tail

    noun — The caudal appendage of an animal that is attached to its posterior and near the anus.

    noun — The back, last, lower, or inferior part of anything.

    noun — (chiefly in the plural) The side of a coin not bearing the head; normally the side on which the monetary value of the coin is indicated; the reverse.

    noun — The tail-end of an object, e.g. the rear of an aircraft's fuselage, containing the tailfin.

    verb — To follow and observe surreptitiously.

    noun — The latter part of a time period or event, or (collectively) persons or objects represented in this part.

    Appeared in 13 recorded puzzles.

  • talc

    noun — Originally a large range of transparent or glistening foliated minerals. Examples include mica, selenite and the hydrated magnesium silicate that the term talc generally has referred to in modern times (see below). Also an item made of such a mineral and depending for its function on the special nature of the mineral (see next). Mediaeval writers adopted the term from the Arabic.

    verb — To apply talc to.

    noun — A microscope slide made of a plate of mica, generally in use from the start of modern microscopy until the early nineteenth century, after which glass slides became the standard medium.

    noun — A soft mineral, composed of hydrated magnesium silicate, that has a soapy feel and a greenish, whitish, or grayish color, and usually occurs in foliated masses.

    noun — Talcum powder.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • tali

    noun — The bone of the ankle.

    Appeared in 13 recorded puzzles.

  • tall

    adjective — (of a person) Having a vertical extent greater than the average. For example, somebody with a height of over 6 feet would generally be considered to be tall.

    adjective — (of a building, etc.) Having its top a long way up; having a great vertical (and often greater than horizontal) extent; high.

    adjective — (of a story) Hard to believe, such as a tall story or a tall tale.

    adjective — (of a cup of coffee) A cup of coffee smaller than grande, usually 8 ounces.

    noun — (possibly nonstandard) Someone or something that is tall.

    Appeared in 14 recorded puzzles.

  • tallit

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 13 recorded puzzles.

  • tally

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • tatty

    noun — Potato

    adjective — Tattered; dilapidated, distressed, worn-out, torn

    noun — A woven mat or screen hung at a door or window and kept wet to moisten and cool the air as it enters.

    Appeared in 9 recorded puzzles.

Hints, no spoilers

Words by first two letters

  • ac×3
  • af×1
  • al×4
  • at×2
  • ca×11
  • ci×1
  • cl×1
  • cy×2
  • fa×13
  • fi×3
  • fl×4
  • il×1
  • it×1
  • la×5
  • li×1
  • ta×15

Words by first letter and length

4567891013Σ
a 3313···· 10
c 34·41111 15
f 643241·· 20
i ·11····· 2
l 222····· 6
t 5421111· 15
Σ 19189106321 68

The numbers

Genius today takes 243 points of 348 available. The average answer runs 5.9 letters.

Total points vs. all 431 recorded puzzles
95th percentile
Word count vs. all recorded puzzles
95th percentile

Word lengths, today vs. 19454 recorded answers

419 today34.5% all-time518 today22.9% all-time69 today20.0% all-time710 today12.0% all-time86 today6.2% all-time93 today2.6% all-time102 today1.2% all-time110.3% all-time120.1% all-time131 today0.0% all-time

History

Today's letters, last seen

LetterLast in a puzzleLast as center
a ● Saturday, April 4, 2026 Friday, March 27, 2026
c Tuesday, March 31, 2026 Thursday, March 12, 2026
f Friday, April 3, 2026 Tuesday, March 17, 2026
i Thursday, April 2, 2026 Thursday, March 26, 2026
l Saturday, April 4, 2026 Tuesday, March 31, 2026
t Thursday, April 2, 2026 Monday, March 30, 2026
y Saturday, April 4, 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 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.