The Unofficial Hive

NYT Spelling Bee answers & analysis

EGINOVK

Friday, July 24, 2026

Edited by Sam Ezersky

Words
24
Points
112
Genius
78
Pangram
1

Official answers

Show the 24 answersHide answers

Pangram highlighted. Click a word for its definition.

  • eking

    verb — Chiefly in the form eke out: to add to, to augment; to increase; to lengthen.

    noun — The act or process of adding.

    noun — That which is added.

    noun — A supplementary piece of timber used to lengthen another.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • enoki

    noun — An enoki mushroom, Flammulina velutipes.

  • evoke

    verb — To call out; to draw out or bring forth.

    verb — To cause the manifestation of something (emotion, picture, etc.) in someone's mind or imagination.

    verb — To elicit a response.

  • evoking

    verb — To call out; to draw out or bring forth.

    verb — To cause the manifestation of something (emotion, picture, etc.) in someone's mind or imagination.

    verb — To elicit a response.

  • geek

    noun — A person who is intensely interested in a particular field or hobby and often having limited or nonstandard social skills. Often used with an attributive noun.

    noun — (by extension) An expert in a technical field, particularly one having to do with computers.

    noun — The subculture of geeks; an esoteric subject of interest that is marginal to the social mainstream; the philosophy, events, and physical artifacts of geeks; geekness.

    noun — An unfashionable or socially undesirable person.

    noun — A carnival performer specializing in bizarre and unappetizing behavior.

    verb — To behave geekishly or in a socially awkward manner, especially when under the influence of drugs or other psycho-active substances, and exhibiting such marked characteristics as hyperactivity, repetitiveness, talkativeness, nervousness, irritability, or paranoia.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • geeking

    verb — To behave geekishly or in a socially awkward manner, especially when under the influence of drugs or other psycho-active substances, and exhibiting such marked characteristics as hyperactivity, repetitiveness, talkativeness, nervousness, irritability, or paranoia.

    verb — To look; to peep; to stare about intently.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • ginkgo

    noun — Ginkgo biloba, a tree native to China with small, fan-shaped leaves and edible seeds.

    noun — The seed of the ginkgo tree.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • inking

    verb — To apply ink to; to cover or smear with ink.

    verb — To sign (a contract or similar document).

    verb — To apply a tattoo to (someone).

    noun — An application of ink.

    noun — Inputting text or drawings into a computer, tablet, or similar apparatus using a stylus.

    verb — (of a squid or octopus) to eject ink (sense 3)

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • invoke

    verb — To call upon (a person, a god) for help, assistance or guidance.

    verb — To solicit, petition for, appeal to a favorable attitude.

    verb — To call to mind (something) for some purpose.

    verb — To appeal for validation to a (notably cited) authority.

    verb — To conjure up with incantations.

    verb — To bring about as an inevitable consequence.

  • invoking

    verb — To call upon (a person, a god) for help, assistance or guidance.

    verb — To solicit, petition for, appeal to a favorable attitude.

    verb — To call to mind (something) for some purpose.

    verb — To appeal for validation to a (notably cited) authority.

    verb — To conjure up with incantations.

    verb — To bring about as an inevitable consequence.

  • keen

    adjective — Often with a prepositional phrase, or with to and an infinitive: showing a quick and ardent responsiveness or willingness; eager, enthusiastic, interested.

    adjective — Having a fine edge or point; sharp.

    adjective — Acute of mind, having or expressing mental acuteness; penetrating, sharp.

    adjective — Of cold, wind, etc.: cutting, penetrating, piercing, sharp.

    adjective — Fierce, intense, vehement.

    adjective — Of prices, extremely low as to be competitive.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • keening

    noun — Intense mournful wailing after a death, often at a funeral or wake

    adjective — Sharp, shrill, especially of a sound.

    verb — To utter with a loud wailing voice or wordless cry.

    verb — To utter a keen.

    verb — To mourn.

    noun — (by extension) An unpleasant wailing sound.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • keno

    noun — A gambling game, a variety of the game of lotto, played with balls or knobs, numbered, and cards also numbered.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • king

    noun — A male monarch; a man who heads a monarchy. If it's an absolute monarchy, then he is the supreme ruler of his nation.

    noun — A powerful or majorly influential person.

    noun — A component of certain games.

    noun — A king-sized bed.

    noun — Something that has a preeminent position.

    verb — To crown king, to make (a person) king.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • kinging

    verb — To promote a piece of draughts/checkers that has traversed the board to the opposite side, that piece subsequently being permitted to move backwards as well as forwards.

    verb — To assume or pretend preeminence (over); to lord it over.

    verb — To dress and perform as a drag king.

    verb — To crown king, to make (a person) king.

    verb — To rule over as king.

    verb — To perform the duties of a king.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • kink

    noun — A tight curl, twist, or bend in a length of thin material, hair etc.

    noun — A difficulty or flaw that is likely to impede operation, as in a plan or system.

    noun — Peculiarity or deviation in sexual behaviour or taste.

    verb — To form a kink or twist.

    verb — To be formed into a kink or twist.

    noun — An unreasonable notion; a crotchet; a whim; a caprice.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • kinking

    verb — To form a kink or twist.

    verb — To be formed into a kink or twist.

    verb — To laugh loudly.

    verb — To gasp for breath as in a severe fit of coughing.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • knee

    noun — In humans, the joint or the region of the joint in the middle part of the leg between the thigh and the shank.

    noun — The part of a garment that covers the knee.

    noun — An act of kneeling, especially to show respect or courtesy.

    verb — To poke or strike with the knee.

    verb — To move on the knees; to use the knees to move.

    noun — A blow made with the knee; a kneeing.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • kneeing

    verb — To poke or strike with the knee.

    verb — To move on the knees; to use the knees to move.

    noun — A blow made with the knee

    verb — To kneel to.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • kook

    noun — An eccentric, strange or crazy person.

    noun — (kiteboarding, wakeboarding) A boardsport participant who lacks style or skill; a newbie who acts as if they are better at the sport than they are.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • nook

    noun — A small corner formed by two walls; an alcove.

    verb — To withdraw into a nook.

    noun — A hidden or secluded spot; a secluded retreat.

    noun — A recess, cove or hollow.

    noun — An English unit of land area, originally 1/4 of a yardland but later 12 1/2 or 20 acres.

    noun — A corner of a piece of land; an angled piece of land, especially one extending into other land.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • oink

    noun — The sound made by a pig, or an imitation thereof.

    verb — Of a pig or in imitation thereof, to make its characteristic sound.

    interjection — Representing the sound made by a pig.

    interjection — Drawing attention to male chauvinism (from the term male chauvinist pig).

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • oinking

    verb — Of a pig or in imitation thereof, to make its characteristic sound.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • viking

    noun — One of the Scandinavian or other Northern European seafaring warriors that raided (and then settled) the British Isles and other parts of Europe in the 8th to the 11th centuries and, according to many historians, were the first Europeans to reach North America.

    noun — (by extension) A stock character common in the fantasy genre, namely a barbarian, generally equipped with an axe or sword and a helmet adorned with horns.

    noun — A Norseman (mediaeval Scandinavian).

    noun — (mildly) An ethnic Swede, Norwegian, Dane, Icelander or Faroe Islander.

    noun — A player on the Minnesota Vikings NFL team.

evoking is a perfect pangram — all seven letters, each used exactly once.

Hints, no spoilers

Words by first two letters

  • ek×1
  • en×1
  • ev×2
  • ge×2
  • gi×1
  • in×3
  • ke×3
  • ki×4
  • kn×2
  • ko×1
  • no×1
  • oi×2
  • vi×1

Words by first letter and length

45678Σ
e ·3·1· 4
g 1·11· 3
i ··2·1 3
k 6··4· 10
n 1···· 1
o 1··1· 2
v ··1·· 1
Σ 93471 24

The numbers

Genius today takes 78 points of 112 available. The average answer runs 5.5 letters.

Total points vs. all 390 recorded puzzles
9th percentile
Word count vs. all recorded puzzles
5th percentile

Word lengths, today vs. 17622 recorded answers

49 today34.6% all-time53 today22.8% all-time64 today19.9% all-time77 today12.1% all-time81 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
e Thursday, July 23, 2026 Friday, July 10, 2026
g Sunday, July 19, 2026 Wednesday, July 8, 2026
i Tuesday, July 21, 2026 Monday, July 20, 2026
k ● Wednesday, July 22, 2026 Sunday, July 12, 2026
n Thursday, July 23, 2026 Friday, June 12, 2026
o Thursday, July 23, 2026 Wednesday, July 15, 2026
v Sunday, July 19, 2026 Sunday, July 19, 2026

Most common answers, all recorded puzzles

  1. noon 42
  2. onion 30
  3. naan 30
  4. nana 30
  5. toot 28
  6. loll 28
  7. mama 25
  8. mamma 25
  9. cocoon 23
  10. acacia 23
  11. acai 23
  12. loon 23
  13. nene 23
  14. olio 23
  15. bill 22
  16. neon 22
  17. none 22
  18. lilt 21
  19. till 21
  20. tilt 21
  21. aria 21
  22. onto 21
  23. toon 21
  24. cancan 21
  25. canna 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.