The Unofficial Hive

NYT Spelling Bee answers & analysis

AGILNZT

Thursday, October 2, 2025

Words
61
Points
364
Genius
254
Pangrams
2

Official answers

Show the 61 answersHide answers

Pangrams highlighted. Click a word for its definition.

  • agita

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • agitating

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • alit

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 12 recorded puzzles.

  • anti

    adjective — Opposed to something.

    noun — A person opposed to a concept or principle.

    preposition — Alternative form of anti-

    adjective — That has a torsion angle between 90° and 180°

    Appeared in 14 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 12 recorded puzzles.

  • attain

    verb — To gain (an object or desired result).

    verb — To reach or come to, by progression or motion; to arrive at (a place, time, state, etc.).

    verb — To reach in excellence or degree.

    verb — To come or arrive, by motion, growth, bodily exertion, or efforts toward a place, object, state, etc.

    verb — To get at the knowledge of.

    verb — To reach a person after being behind them.

    Appeared in 14 recorded puzzles.

  • attaining

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    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • gait

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • gallant

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • gating

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • giant

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • gilt

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • glint

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • glinting

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • glitz

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • gnat

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • igniting

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • initial

    adjective — Chronologically first, early; of or pertaining to the beginning, cause or origin.

    noun — In plural, the first letter of each word of a person's full name considered as a unit.

    noun — The first letter of a word or a name.

    verb — To sign one's initial(s), as an abbreviated signature.

    noun — A distinguished initial letter of a chapter or section of a document.

    adjective — Spatially first, placed at the beginning, in the first position; especially said of the first letter of a word.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • initialing

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • initializing

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  • initiating

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • lantana

    noun — Any member of the genus Lantana of perennial verbenas with aromatic flower clusters.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • ligating

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • lilt

    noun — A cheerful or melodious accent when speaking.

    noun — Animated, brisk motion; spirited rhythm; sprightliness.

    noun — A lively song or dance; a cheerful tune.

    verb — To do something rhythmically, with animation and quickness, usually of music.

    verb — To utter with spirit, animation, or gaiety; to sing with spirit and liveliness.

    verb — To sing cheerfully, especially in Gaelic.

    Appeared in 21 recorded puzzles.

  • lilting

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • lint

    noun — Clinging fuzzy fluff that clings to fabric or accumulates in one's pockets or navel etc.

    verb — To perform a static check on (source code) to detect stylistic or programmatic errors.

    noun — A fine material made by scraping cotton or linen cloth; used for dressing wounds.

    noun — The fibrous coat of thick hairs covering the seeds of the cotton plant.

    noun — Raw cotton ready for baling.

    Appeared in 13 recorded puzzles.

  • litigant

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • litigating

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • natal

    adjective — Of or relating to birth.

    adjective — Of or relating to the buttocks.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • natant

    adjective — Floating or swimming (in water)

    adjective — In a horizontal position, as if swimming

    Appeared in 18 recorded puzzles.

  • tagging

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • taiga

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 6 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 12 recorded puzzles.

  • tailgating

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • tailing

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • taint

    verb — To contaminate or corrupt (something) with an external agent, either physically or morally.

    noun — A mark of disgrace, especially on one's character; blemish

    noun — A contamination, decay or putrefaction, especially in food

    verb — To spoil (food) by contamination.

    noun — Infection; corruption; deprivation

    noun — A marker indicating that a variable is unsafe and should be subjected to additional security checks.

    Appeared in 14 recorded puzzles.

  • tainting

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • tali

    noun — The bone of the ankle.

    Appeared in 12 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 13 recorded puzzles.

  • tallit

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 12 recorded puzzles.

  • tang

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • tangling

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • tannin

    noun — Tannic acid or any of its derivatives.

    Appeared in 14 recorded puzzles.

  • tanning

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • tantalizing

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • tatting

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • tattling

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • tiling

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • till

    preposition — Until; to, up to; as late as (a given time).

    conjunction — Until, until the time that.

    noun — A cash register.

    noun — A removable box within a cash register containing the money.

    noun — The contents of a cash register, for example at the beginning or end of the day or of a cashier's shift.

    verb — To work or cultivate or plough (soil); to prepare for growing vegetation and crops.

    Appeared in 21 recorded puzzles.

  • tilling

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • tilt

    verb — To slope or incline (something); to slant.

    verb — To be at an angle.

    noun — A slope or inclination.

    noun — The inclination of part of the body, such as backbone, pelvis, head, etc.

    verb — To play worse than usual (often as a result of previous bad luck or losses).

    noun — The controlled vertical movement of a camera, or a device to achieve this.

    Appeared in 21 recorded puzzles.

  • tilting

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • tinging

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • tingling

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • tinning

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • tint

    verb — To shade, to color.

    noun — A slight coloring.

    noun — A pale or faint tinge of any color; especially, a variation of a color obtained by adding white (contrast shade)

    noun — A color considered with reference to other very similar colors.

    noun — A shaded effect in engraving, produced by the juxtaposition of many fine parallel lines.

    Appeared in 18 recorded puzzles.

  • tinting

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • titan

    noun — Something or someone of very large stature, greatness, or godliness.

    Appeared in 14 recorded puzzles.

  • titillating

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • titling

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • ziti

    noun — A type of penne pasta in the form of long smooth hollow tubes.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

Hints, no spoilers

Words by first two letters

  • ag×2
  • al×1
  • an×1
  • at×3
  • ga×3
  • gi×2
  • gl×3
  • gn×1
  • ig×1
  • in×4
  • la×1
  • li×6
  • na×2
  • ta×17
  • ti×13
  • zi×1

Words by first letter and length

456789101112Σ
a 221··2··· 7
g 33111···· 9
i ···11·2·1 5
l 2··22·1·· 7
n ·11······ 2
t 733104·12· 30
z 1········ 1
Σ 15961482421 61

The numbers

Genius today takes 254 points of 364 available. The average answer runs 6.5 letters.

Total points vs. all 391 recorded puzzles
96th percentile
Word count vs. all recorded puzzles
85th percentile

Word lengths, today vs. 17669 recorded answers

415 today34.6% all-time59 today22.8% all-time66 today19.9% all-time714 today12.1% all-time88 today6.3% all-time92 today2.6% all-time104 today1.3% all-time112 today0.3% all-time121 today0.1% all-time130.0% all-time

History

Today's letters, last seen

LetterLast in a puzzleLast as center
a Wednesday, October 1, 2025 Friday, September 26, 2025
g Friday, September 26, 2025 Wednesday, September 3, 2025
i Wednesday, October 1, 2025 Tuesday, September 30, 2025
l Tuesday, September 30, 2025 Saturday, September 27, 2025
n Wednesday, October 1, 2025 Wednesday, September 17, 2025
t ● Wednesday, October 1, 2025 Tuesday, September 23, 2025
z Saturday, September 20, 2025 first recorded time

Most common answers, all recorded puzzles

  1. noon 42
  2. onion 31
  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. imam 21
  23. maim 21
  24. onto 21
  25. toon 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.