The Unofficial Hive

NYT Spelling Bee answers & analysis

ADEGNOB

Sunday, September 6, 2026

Edited by Sam Ezersky

Words
68
Points
320
Genius
224
Pangrams
2

Official answers

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Pangrams highlighted. Click a word for its definition.

  • abandon

    verb — To give up or relinquish control of, to surrender or to give oneself over, or to yield to one's emotions.

    noun — A yielding to natural impulses or inhibitions; freedom from artificial constraint, with loss of appreciation of consequences.

    verb — To desist in doing, practicing, following, holding, or adhering to; to turn away from; to permit to lapse; to renounce; to discontinue.

    verb — To leave behind; to desert as in a ship or a position, typically in response to overwhelming odds or impending dangers; to forsake, in spite of a duty or responsibility.

    verb — To subdue; to take control of.

    verb — To cast out; to banish; to expel; to reject.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • abandoned

    verb — To give up or relinquish control of, to surrender or to give oneself over, or to yield to one's emotions.

    adjective — Having given oneself up to vice; immoral; extremely wicked, or sinning without restraint; irreclaimably wicked.

    verb — To desist in doing, practicing, following, holding, or adhering to; to turn away from; to permit to lapse; to renounce; to discontinue.

    verb — To leave behind; to desert as in a ship or a position, typically in response to overwhelming odds or impending dangers; to forsake, in spite of a duty or responsibility.

    verb — To subdue; to take control of.

    verb — To cast out; to banish; to expel; to reject.

  • abed

    adverb — In bed, or on the bed; confined to bed.

    adverb — To childbed

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • abode

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • adobe

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • adobo

    noun — A Philippine dish in which pork or chicken is slowly cooked in a sauce including soy sauce, vinegar, and crushed garlic.

    noun — A marinade.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • baaed

    verb — To make the characteristic cry of a sheep.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • baba

    noun — A kind of sponge cake soaked in rum-flavoured syrup.

    noun — (esp. among people of East European ancestry) A grandmother.

    noun — An old woman, especially a traditional old woman from an eastern European culture.

    noun — (esp. among people of Indian ancestry) A father.

    noun — (Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism) A holy man, a spiritual leader.

    noun — A baby, child.

    Appeared in 21 recorded puzzles.

  • babe

    noun — A baby or infant; a very young human or animal.

    noun — An attractive person, especially a young woman.

    noun — Darling (term of endearment).

    Appeared in 11 recorded puzzles.

  • baboon

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • bade

    verb — To issue a command; to tell.

    verb — To invite; to summon.

    verb — To utter a greeting or salutation.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • badge

    noun — A distinctive mark, token, sign, emblem or cognizance, worn on one's clothing, as an insignia of some rank, or of the membership of an organization.

    verb — To mark or distinguish with a badge.

    noun — A small nameplate, identifying the wearer, and often giving additional information.

    noun — A card, sometimes with a barcode or magnetic strip, granting access to a certain area.

    noun — Something characteristic; a mark; a token.

    noun — (thieves' cant) A brand on the hand of a thief, etc.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • badged

    verb — To mark or distinguish with a badge.

    verb — To show a badge to.

    verb — To enter a restricted area by showing one's badge.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • baggage

    noun — (usually uncountable) Luggage; traveling equipment

    noun — Factors, especially psychological ones, which interfere with a person's ability to function effectively.

    noun — A woman.

    noun — An army's portable equipment; its baggage train.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • bagged

    verb — To put into a bag.

    adjective — Having been placed in a bag.

    verb — To catch or kill, especially when fishing or hunting.

    verb — To gain possession of something, or to make first claim on something.

    verb — To furnish or load with a bag.

    verb — (African American Vernacular) To bring a woman one met on the street with one.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • banana

    noun — An elongated curved tropical fruit that grows in bunches and has a creamy flesh and a smooth skin.

    adjective — Curved like a banana, especially of a ball in flight.

    noun — The tropical tree-like plant which bears clusters of bananas. The plant, usually of the genus Musa but sometimes also including plants from Ensete, has large, elongated leaves and is related to the plantain.

    noun — A yellow colour, like that of a banana's skin.

    noun — (mildly) A person of Asian descent, especially a Chinese American, who has assimilated into Western culture or married a Caucasian (from the "yellow" outside and "white" inside). Compare coconut or Oreo.

    noun — A banana equivalent dose.

    Appeared in 10 recorded puzzles.

  • band

    noun — A strip of material used for strengthening or coupling.

    verb — To fasten with a band.

    noun — A group of musicians who perform together as an ensemble, usually for a professional recording artist.

    verb — To group together for a common purpose; to confederate.

    verb — To tie; to confine by any ligature.

    noun — A long strip of material, color, etc, that is different from the surrounding area.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • bandage

    noun — A strip of gauze or similar material used to protect or support a wound or injury.

    verb — To apply a bandage to something.

    noun — A strip of cloth bound round the head and eyes as a blindfold.

    noun — (by extension) A provisional or makeshift solution that provides insufficient coverage or relief.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • bandaged

    verb — To apply a bandage to something.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • bandana

    noun — A large kerchief, usually colourful and used either as headgear or as a handkerchief, neckerchief, bikini, or sweatband.

    noun — A style of calico printing, in which white or bright spots are produced upon cloth previously dyed a uniform red or dark colour, by discharging portions of the color by chemical means, while the rest of the cloth is under pressure.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • bandanna

    noun — A large kerchief, usually colourful and used either as headgear or as a handkerchief, neckerchief, bikini, or sweatband.

    noun — A style of calico printing, in which white or bright spots are produced upon cloth previously dyed a uniform red or dark colour, by discharging portions of the color by chemical means, while the rest of the cloth is under pressure.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • banded

    verb — To fasten with a band.

    verb — To group together for a common purpose; to confederate.

    adjective — Marked with bands of colour

    verb — To fasten an identifying band around the leg of (a bird).

    verb — To group (students) together by perceived ability; to stream.

    adjective — Divided into bands

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • bane

    noun — A cause of misery or death.

    verb — To kill, especially by poison; to be the poison of.

    noun — Bone

    noun — Poison, especially any of several poisonous plants.

    noun — A killer, murderer, slayer.

    noun — Destruction; death.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • bang

    noun — A sudden percussive noise.

    verb — To make sudden loud noises, and often repeatedly, especially by exploding or hitting something.

    adverb — Right, directly.

    interjection — A sudden percussive sound, such as made by the firing of a gun, slamming of a door, etc.

    noun — Hair hanging over the forehead.

    noun — Brucellosis, a bacterial disease.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • banged

    verb — To make sudden loud noises, and often repeatedly, especially by exploding or hitting something.

    adjective — Having the hair styled in bangs.

    verb — To hit hard.

    verb — To engage in sexual intercourse.

    verb — (with "in") To hammer or to hit anything hard.

    verb — To cut squarely across, as the tail of a horse, or a person's forelock; to cut (the hair).

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • banned

    verb — To summon; to call out.

    adjective — Forbidden; not allowed.

    verb — To anathematize; to pronounce an ecclesiastical curse upon; to place under a ban.

    verb — To curse; to execrate.

    verb — To prohibit; to interdict; to proscribe; to forbid or block from participation.

    verb — To curse; to utter curses or maledictions.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • baobab

    noun — A tree, Adansonia digitata (and similar species), native to tropical Africa, having a broad swollen trunk and edible gourd-like hanging fruits.

    Appeared in 11 recorded puzzles.

  • bead

    noun — Prayer, later especially with a rosary.

    verb — To form into a bead.

    noun — Each in a string of small balls making up the rosary or paternoster.

    noun — A small, round object.

    noun — (heading) A ridge, band, or molding.

    noun — Knowledge sufficient to direct one's activities to a purpose.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • beaded

    verb — To form into a bead.

    adjective — Made from, or decorated with, beads.

    verb — To apply beads to.

    verb — To cause beads to form on (something).

    adjective — Having formed in beads or a bead-like shape.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • bean

    noun — A reusable software component written in Java.

    noun — Any plant of several genera of the taxonomic family Fabaceae that produces large edible seeds or edible seedpods.

    verb — To hit deliberately with a projectile, especially in the head.

    noun — The large edible seed of such a plant (for example, a broad bean, navy bean or garbanzo bean).

    noun — The edible seedpod of such a plant.

    noun — (by extension) The bean-like seed of certain other plants, such a a vanilla bean or (especially) a coffee bean.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • beanbag

    noun — A piece of soft furniture consisting of a leather or vinyl covering stuffed with dry beans or other similar pellets.

    noun — A small cloth bag filled with dry beans, used as a toy or for exercising the hands.

    noun — A type of juggling ball usually made from leather or cloth stuffed with dry beans.

    noun — (usually in the plural) A testicle.

    noun — An idiot.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • beaned

    verb — To hit deliberately with a projectile, especially in the head.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • bedded

    verb — Senses relating to a bed as a place for resting or sleeping.

    verb — Senses relating to a bed as a place or layer on which something else rests or is laid.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • been

    noun — A flying insect, of the clade Anthophila within the hymenopteran superfamily Apoidea, known for its organised societies (though only a minority have them), for collecting pollen and (in some species) producing wax and honey.

    Appeared in 9 recorded puzzles.

  • began

    verb — To start, to initiate or take the first step into something.

    verb — To be in the first stage of some situation

    verb — To come into existence.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • begged

    verb — To request the help of someone, often in the form of money.

    verb — To plead with someone for help, a favor, etc.; to entreat.

    verb — In the phrase beg the question: to assume.

    verb — In the phrase beg the question: to raise (a question).

    verb — To ask to be appointed guardian for, or to ask to have a guardian appointed for.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • begone

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • bend

    noun — A curve.

    verb — To cause (something) to change its shape into a curve, by physical force, chemical action, or any other means.

    noun — Any of the various knots which join the ends of two lines.

    noun — (in the plural, underwater diving, with the) A severe condition caused by excessively quick decompression, causing bubbles of nitrogen to form in the blood; decompression sickness.

    noun — One of the honourable ordinaries formed by two diagonal lines drawn from the dexter chief to the sinister base; it generally occupies a fifth part of the shield if uncharged, but if charged one third.

    noun — Turn; purpose; inclination; ends.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • boba

    noun — Short for boba tea.

    noun — A small edible ball made primarily from tapioca starch; used in bubble tea.

    Appeared in 11 recorded puzzles.

  • bobbed

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • bode

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • boded

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • bodega

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • bogged

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • bonbon

    noun — A sweet, especially a small chocolate-covered candy.

    noun — A small, spherical savory snack or canapé.

    noun — A Christmas cracker.

    Appeared in 10 recorded puzzles.

  • bond

    noun — Evidence of a long-term debt, by which the bond issuer (the borrower) is obliged to pay interest when due, and repay the principal at maturity, as specified on the face of the bond certificate. The rights of the holder are specified in the bond indenture, which contains the legal terms and conditions under which the bond was issued. Bonds are available in two forms: registered bonds, and bearer bonds.

    verb — To connect, secure or tie with a bond; to bind.

    noun — A peasant; churl.

    adjective — Subject to the tenure called bondage.

    noun — A documentary obligation to pay a sum or to perform a contract; a debenture.

    noun — A partial payment made to show a provider that the customer is sincere about buying a product or a service. If the product or service is not purchased the customer then forfeits the bond.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • bondage

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • bonded

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • bone

    noun — A composite material consisting largely of calcium phosphate and collagen and making up the skeleton of most vertebrates.

    verb — To prepare (meat, etc) by removing the bone or bones from.

    adjective — Of an off-white colour, like the colour of bone.

    verb — To apprehend, steal.

    verb — To sight along an object or set of objects to check whether they are level or in line.

    noun — A musical instrument in the brass family, having a cylindrical bore, and usually a sliding tube (but sometimes piston valves, and rarely both). Most often refers to the tenor trombone, which is the most common type of trombone and has a fundamental tone of B♭ˌ (contra B♭).

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • boned

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • bong

    noun — The clang of a large bell.

    verb — To pull a bell.

    noun — A vessel, usually made of glass or ceramic and filled with water, used in smoking various substances; especially marijuana or pot.

    noun — A very wide piton.

    noun — (thieves' cant) A purse.

    noun — An Australian Aboriginal person.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • bongo

    noun — A striped bovine mammal found in Africa, Tragelaphus eurycerus.

    noun — Either of a pair of small drums of Cuban origin, played by beating with the hands.

    verb — To play the bongo drums.

    verb — Of the heart, etc.: to beat with an irregular rhythm.

    verb — To hit something rhythmically with the hands.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • bonobo

    noun — The pygmy chimpanzee, Pan paniscus, from Africa south of the Congo river.

    Appeared in 10 recorded puzzles.

  • boob

    noun — Idiot, fool.

    verb — To behave stupidly; to act like a boob.

    adjective — Idiotic, foolish.

    noun — A breast, especially that of an adult or adolescent human female.

    noun — A prison; jail.

    verb — To make a mistake

    Appeared in 12 recorded puzzles.

  • booboo

    noun — A mistake or error.

    noun — (by or to young children) A minor injury, such as a cut or a bruise.

    noun — (by or to young children) Feces.

    Appeared in 12 recorded puzzles.

  • booed

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • boon

    noun — A prayer; petition.

    adjective — Good; prosperous.

    noun — The woody portion of flax, separated from the fiber as refuse matter by retting, braking, and scutching.

    noun — That which is asked or granted as a benefit or favor; a gift or benefaction.

    noun — A good thing; a blessing or benefit; a thing to be thankful for.

    noun — An unpaid service due by a tenant to his lord.

    Appeared in 10 recorded puzzles.

  • dabbed

    verb — To press lightly in a repetitive motion with a soft object without rubbing.

    verb — To apply a substance in this way.

    verb — To strike by a thrust; to hit with a sudden blow or thrust.

    verb — To apply hash oil to a heated surface for the purpose of efficient combustion.

    verb — To perform the dab dance move, by moving both arms to one side of the body parallel with your head.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • debone

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • deboned

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • dogbane

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • ebbed

    verb — To flow back or recede

    verb — To fall away or decline

    verb — To fish with stakes and nets that serve to prevent the fish from getting back into the sea with the ebb

    verb — To cause to flow back.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • ebon

    noun — (now poetic) Ebony; an ebony tree.

    adjective — Made of ebony.

    adjective — Black in colour.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • gabbed

    verb — To jest; to tell lies in jest; exaggerate; lie.

    verb — To talk or chatter a lot, usually on trivial subjects.

    verb — To speak or tell falsely.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • nabbed

    verb — To seize, arrest or take into custody (a criminal or fugitive).

    verb — To grab or snatch something.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • nabob

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • noob

    noun — (often pejorative) A newb or newbie; refers to the idea that someone is new to a game, concept, or idea; implying a lack of experience. Also, in some areas the word noob can mean someone is obsessed with things.

    Appeared in 10 recorded puzzles.

  • oboe

    noun — A soprano and melody wind instrument in the modern orchestra and wind ensemble. It is a smaller instrument and generally made of grenadilla wood. It is a member of the double reed family.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

bondage, dogbane are perfect pangrams — all seven letters, each used exactly once.

Hints, no spoilers

Words by first two letters

  • ab×4
  • ad×2
  • ba×21
  • be×11
  • bo×19
  • da×1
  • de×2
  • do×1
  • eb×2
  • ga×1
  • na×2
  • no×1
  • ob×1

Words by first letter and length

456789Σ
a 13·1·1 6
b 1772052· 51
d ··22·· 4
e 11···· 2
g ··1··· 1
n 111··· 3
o 1····· 1
Σ 211224821 68

The numbers

Genius today takes 224 points of 320 available. The average answer runs 5.4 letters.

Total points vs. all 435 recorded puzzles
90th percentile
Word count vs. all recorded puzzles
95th percentile

Word lengths, today vs. 19676 recorded answers

421 today34.4% all-time512 today22.9% all-time624 today20.1% all-time78 today12.1% all-time82 today6.2% all-time91 today2.6% 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
a Saturday, September 5, 2026 Tuesday, September 1, 2026
b ● Monday, August 31, 2026 Tuesday, August 25, 2026
d Friday, September 4, 2026 Friday, September 4, 2026
e Friday, September 4, 2026 Sunday, August 30, 2026
g Saturday, September 5, 2026 Monday, August 10, 2026
n Saturday, September 5, 2026 Monday, August 24, 2026
o Monday, August 31, 2026 Monday, August 17, 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. nene 26
  10. acacia 25
  11. acai 25
  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. aria 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.