The Unofficial Hive

NYT Spelling Bee answers & analysis

ABDENUC

Tuesday, May 5, 2026

Words
34
Points
180
Genius
125
Pangram
1

Official answers

Show the 34 answersHide answers

Pangram highlighted. Click a word for its definition.

  • abundance

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • accede

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • acceded

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • aced

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • acne

    noun — A skin condition, usually of the face, that is common in adolescents. It is characterised by red pimples, and is caused by the inflammation of sebaceous glands through bacterial infection.

    noun — A pattern of blemishes in an area of skin resulting from the skin condition.

    Appeared in 13 recorded puzzles.

  • adduce

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • adduced

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • banc

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • cabana

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • cabbed

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • cadence

    noun — The act or state of declining or sinking.

    verb — To give a cadence to.

    noun — Balanced, rhythmic flow.

    noun — The measure or beat of movement.

    noun — The general inflection or modulation of the voice, or of any sound.

    noun — A progression of at least two chords which conclude a piece of music, section or musical phrases within it. Sometimes referred to analogously as musical punctuation.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • cancan

    noun — A high-kicking chorus line dance originating in France.

    verb — To dance the cancan.

    noun — (motocross) A trick where one leg is brought over the seat, so that both legs are on one side.

    Appeared in 23 recorded puzzles.

  • cane

    noun — A plant with simple stems, like bamboo or sugar cane, or the stem thereof

    noun — The stem of such a plant adapted for use as a tool

    verb — To strike or beat with a cane or similar implement

    noun — A rod-shaped tool or device, somewhat like a cane

    noun — Split rattan, as used in wickerwork, basketry and the like

    verb — To make or furnish with cane or rattan.

    Appeared in 13 recorded puzzles.

  • caned

    verb — To strike or beat with a cane or similar implement

    adjective — Intoxicated by alcohol or drugs

    adjective — Filled with white flakes; mothery; said of vinegar when containing mother.

    verb — To destroy; to comprehensively defeat

    verb — To do something well, in a competent fashion

    verb — To produce extreme pain

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • canna

    noun — Any member of the genus Canna of tropical plants with large leaves and often showy flowers.

    noun — A measure of length in Italy, varying from six to seven feet.

    Appeared in 23 recorded puzzles.

  • canned

    verb — To seal in a can.

    adjective — Preserved in cans.

    verb — To preserve by heating and sealing in a jar or can.

    verb — To discard, scrap or terminate (an idea, project, etc.).

    verb — To shut up.

    verb — To fire or dismiss an employee.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • cede

    verb — To give up; yield to another.

    verb — To give way.

    Appeared in 9 recorded puzzles.

  • ceded

    verb — To give up; yield to another.

    verb — To give way.

    Appeared in 9 recorded puzzles.

  • cube

    noun — A regular polyhedron having six identical square faces.

    verb — To raise to the third power; to determine the result of multiplying by itself twice.

    noun — A cubicle, especially one of those found in offices.

    noun — Any object more or less in the form of a cube.

    noun — The third power of a number, value, term or expression.

    noun — A data structure consisting of a three-dimensional array; a data cube

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • cubed

    verb — To raise to the third power; to determine the result of multiplying by itself twice.

    adjective — Raised to the third power.

    verb — To form into the shape of a cube.

    verb — To cut into cubes.

    verb — To use a Rubik's cube.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • cued

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • dance

    noun — A sequence of rhythmic steps or movements usually performed to music, for pleasure or as a form of social interaction.

    verb — To move with rhythmic steps or movements, especially in time to music.

    noun — A social gathering where dancing is the main activity.

    noun — A normally horizontal stripe called a fess that has been modified to zig-zag across the center of a coat of arms from dexter to sinister.

    noun — A genre of modern music characterised by sampled beats, repetitive rhythms and few lyrics.

    noun — The art, profession, and study of dancing.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • danced

    verb — To move with rhythmic steps or movements, especially in time to music.

    verb — To leap or move lightly and rapidly.

    verb — To perform the steps to.

    verb — To cause to dance, or move nimbly or merrily about.

    verb — To make love or have sex.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • decade

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • decadence

    noun — A state of moral or artistic decline or deterioration; decay

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • deduce

    verb — To reach a conclusion by applying rules of logic to given premises.

    verb — To take away; to deduct; to subtract.

    verb — (Latinism) To lead forth.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • deduced

    verb — To reach a conclusion by applying rules of logic to given premises.

    verb — To take away; to deduct; to subtract.

    verb — (Latinism) To lead forth.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • deuce

    noun — A card with two pips, one of four in a standard deck of playing cards.

    noun — A tied game where either player can win by scoring two consecutive points.

    noun — The number two.

    noun — A side of a die with two spots.

    noun — A cast of dice totalling two.

    noun — (epithet) The Devil, used in exclamations of confusion or anger.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • dunce

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • educe

    verb — To draw out or bring forth from some basic or potential state; to elicit, to develop.

    verb — To infer or deduce (a result, theory etc.) from existing data or premises.

    verb — To isolate (a substance) from a compound; to extract.

    verb — To direct the course of (a flow, journey etc.); to lead in a particular direction.

    verb — To cause or generate; to bring about.

    noun — An inference.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • educed

    verb — To draw out or bring forth from some basic or potential state; to elicit, to develop.

    verb — To infer or deduce (a result, theory etc.) from existing data or premises.

    adjective — Evoked

    adjective — Deduced

    verb — To isolate (a substance) from a compound; to extract.

    verb — To direct the course of (a flow, journey etc.); to lead in a particular direction.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • nuance

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • nuanced

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • unceded

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

Hints, no spoilers

Words by first two letters

  • ab×1
  • ac×4
  • ad×2
  • ba×1
  • ca×8
  • ce×2
  • cu×3
  • da×2
  • de×5
  • du×1
  • ed×2
  • nu×2
  • un×1

Words by first letter and length

45679Σ
a 2·221 7
b 1···· 1
c 4441· 13
d ·3311 8
e ·11·· 2
n ··11· 2
u ···1· 1
Σ 781162 34

The numbers

Genius today takes 125 points of 180 available. The average answer runs 5.7 letters.

Total points vs. all 413 recorded puzzles
39th percentile
Word count vs. all recorded puzzles
24th percentile

Word lengths, today vs. 18686 recorded answers

47 today34.5% all-time58 today23.0% all-time611 today20.0% all-time76 today12.0% all-time86.2% 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
a Sunday, May 3, 2026 Thursday, April 23, 2026
b Saturday, May 2, 2026 Tuesday, April 21, 2026
c ● Sunday, May 3, 2026 Sunday, May 3, 2026
d Saturday, May 2, 2026 Friday, April 24, 2026
e Saturday, May 2, 2026 Saturday, March 21, 2026
n Sunday, May 3, 2026 Wednesday, April 22, 2026
u Sunday, May 3, 2026 Thursday, April 30, 2026

Most common answers, all recorded puzzles

  1. noon 44
  2. naan 33
  3. nana 33
  4. onion 31
  5. toot 29
  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. bill 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.