The Unofficial Hive

NYT Spelling Bee answers & analysis

AELNUXT

Thursday, October 16, 2025

Words
66
Points
316
Genius
221
Pangram
1

Official answers

Show the 66 answersHide answers

Pangram highlighted. Click a word for its definition.

  • ante

    noun — A price or cost, as in up the ante.

    verb — To pay the ante in poker. Often used as ante up.

    noun — In poker and other games, the contribution made by all players to the pot before dealing the cards.

    verb — To make an investment in money, effort, or time before knowing one's chances.

    Appeared in 8 recorded puzzles.

  • antenatal

    adjective — Occurring or existing before birth

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • antenna

    noun — A feeler organ on the head of an insect, crab, or other animal.

    noun — An apparatus to receive or transmit electromagnetic waves and convert respectively to or from an electrical signal.

    noun — The faculty of intuitive astuteness.

    noun — A fragment of an oligosaccharide

    noun — The spar to which a lateen sail is attached, which is then hoisted up the mast.

    Appeared in 8 recorded puzzles.

  • antennae

    noun — A feeler organ on the head of an insect, crab, or other animal.

    noun — An apparatus to receive or transmit electromagnetic waves and convert respectively to or from an electrical signal.

    noun — The faculty of intuitive astuteness.

    noun — A fragment of an oligosaccharide

    noun — The spar to which a lateen sail is attached, which is then hoisted up the mast.

    Appeared in 8 recorded puzzles.

  • attenuate

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • attune

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • aunt

    noun — The sister or sister-in-law of one’s parent.

    noun — A woman of an older generation than oneself, especially a friend of one's parents, by means of fictive kin.

    noun — The female cousin of one’s parent.

    noun — Any elderly woman.

    noun — A procuress or bawd.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • eaten

    verb — To ingest; to be ingested.

    adjective — (especially in combination) That has been consumed by eating

    verb — To use up.

    verb — To cause (someone) to worry.

    verb — To take the loss in a transaction.

    verb — To be injured or killed by (something such as a firearm or its projectile), especially in the mouth.

    Appeared in 8 recorded puzzles.

  • elate

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • entente

    noun — An informal alliance or friendly understanding between two states.

    Appeared in 15 recorded puzzles.

  • exalt

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • exeunt

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • extant

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • extent

    noun — A range of values or locations.

    adjective — Extended.

    noun — The space, area, volume, etc., to which something extends.

    noun — A contiguous area of storage in a file system.

    noun — The valuation of property.

    noun — A writ directing the sheriff to seize the property of a debtor, for the recovery of debts of record due to the Crown.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • extenuate

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • exult

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • exultant

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • lantana

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

    Appeared in 8 recorded puzzles.

  • late

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • laten

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • latent

    noun — (forensics) The residue left by a person's finger that can be made visible by a process such as powder dusting; a latent fingerprint.

    adjective — Existing or present but concealed or inactive.

    noun — An underlying cause that can be inferred from statistical correlations; factor.

    noun — Anything that is latent.

    adjective — (of a virus) remaining in an inactive or hidden phase; dormant.

    adjective — Lying dormant or hidden until circumstances are suitable for development or manifestation.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • latex

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • latte

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • leant

    verb — To incline, deviate, or bend, from a vertical position; to be in a position thus inclining or deviating.

    verb — To incline in opinion or desire; to conform in conduct; often with to, toward, etc.

    verb — Followed by against, on, or upon: to rest or rely, for support, comfort, etc.

    verb — To hang outwards.

    verb — To press against.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • lent

    noun — A period of the ecclesiastical year preceding Easter, traditionally involving temporary abstention from certain foods and pleasures.

    verb — To allow to be used by someone temporarily, on condition that it or its equivalent will be returned.

    noun — The second term of the academic year at some British schools.

    verb — To make a loan.

    verb — To be suitable or applicable, to fit.

    verb — To afford; to grant or furnish in general.

    Appeared in 9 recorded puzzles.

  • lunate

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • lunette

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • lute

    noun — A fretted stringed instrument of European origin, similar to the guitar, having a bowl-shaped body or soundbox; any of a wide variety of chordophones with a pear-shaped body and a neck whose upper surface is in the same plane as the soundboard, with strings along the neck and parallel to the soundboard.

    noun — Thick sticky clay or cement used to close up a hole or gap, especially to make something air-tight.

    verb — To play on a lute, or as if on a lute.

    noun — A packing ring, as of rubber, for fruit jars, etc.

    noun — (brickmaking) A straight-edged piece of wood for striking off superfluous clay from earth.

    verb — To fix or fasten something with lute.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • luteal

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • natal

    adjective — Of or relating to birth.

    adjective — Of or relating to the buttocks.

    Appeared in 8 recorded puzzles.

  • natant

    adjective — Floating or swimming (in water)

    adjective — In a horizontal position, as if swimming

    Appeared in 21 recorded puzzles.

  • neat

    noun — An artificial intelligence researcher who believes that solutions should be elegant, clear and provably correct. Compare scruffy.

    adjective — Clean, tidy; free from dirt or impurities.

    noun — A bull or cow.

    adjective — Free from contaminants; unadulterated, undiluted. Particularly of liquor and cocktails; see usage below.

    adjective — Conditions with a liquid reagent or gas performed with no standard solvent or cosolvent.

    adjective — With all deductions or allowances made; net.

    Appeared in 8 recorded puzzles.

  • neaten

    verb — To make neat; arrange in an orderly, tidy way; to tidy.

    Appeared in 8 recorded puzzles.

  • nettle

    noun — Any plant whose foliage is covered with stinging, mildly poisonous hairs, causing an instant rash.

    verb — Of the nettle plant and similar physical causes, to sting, causing a rash in someone.

    noun — Certain plants that have spines or prickles:

    noun — Certain non-stinging plants, mostly in the family Lamiaceae, that resemble the species of Urtica:

    noun — Loosely, anything which causes a similarly stinging rash, such as a jellyfish or sea nettle.

    verb — To pique, irritate, vex or provoke.

    Appeared in 9 recorded puzzles.

  • next

    noun — The one that follows after this one.

    adjective — Nearest in place or position, having nothing similar intervening; adjoining.

    adverb — In a time, place, rank or sequence closest or following.

    preposition — On the side of; nearest or adjacent to; next to.

    adjective — Nearest in order, succession, or rank; immediately following (or sometimes preceding) in order.

    adjective — Following in a hypothetical sequence of some kind.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • tale

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • talent

    noun — A marked natural ability or skill.

    noun — A unit of weight and money used in ancient times in Greece, the Roman Empire, and the Middle East.

    noun — A desire or inclination for something.

    noun — People of talent, viewed collectively; a talented person.

    noun — The men or (especially) women of a place or area, judged by their attractiveness.

    Appeared in 2 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.

  • tattle

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • tattletale

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • taunt

    noun — A scornful or mocking remark; a jeer or mockery

    verb — To make fun of (someone); to goad (a person) into responding, often in an aggressive manner.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • taut

    adjective — Under tension, like a stretched bowstring, rope, or sail; tight.

    adjective — (of a body, muscles, etc.) Not flabby; firm, toned; (of a person) having a lean, strong body.

    adjective — (of music, writing, etc.) Containing only relevant parts; brief and controlled.

    adjective — (of a sailor, a ship, etc.) Neat and well-disciplined; (by extension) efficient and in order.

    adjective — Experiencing anxiety or stress.

    Appeared in 11 recorded puzzles.

  • tauten

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • taxa

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • teal

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • teat

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 10 recorded puzzles.

  • teen

    noun — A teenager.

    adjective — Of or having to do with teenagers; teenage

    noun — Grief; sorrow; trouble.

    verb — To excite; to provoke; to vex; to afflict; to injure.

    verb — (provincial) To hedge or fence in; to enclose.

    noun — Vexation; anger; hate.

    Appeared in 15 recorded puzzles.

  • teletext

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • telex

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • tell

    verb — To convey by speech; to say.

    verb — To narrate.

    verb — To instruct or inform.

    verb — To order; to direct, to say to someone.

    verb — To reveal.

    verb — To discern, notice, identify or distinguish.

    Appeared in 11 recorded puzzles.

  • telltale

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • tenant

    noun — One who pays a fee (rent) in return for the use of land, buildings, or other property owned by others.

    verb — To hold as, or be, a tenant.

    noun — One who has possession of any place.

    noun — One who holds a property by any kind of right, including ownership.

    noun — Any of a number of customers serviced through the same instance of an application.

    verb — To inhabit.

    Appeared in 8 recorded puzzles.

  • tenet

    noun — An opinion, belief, or principle that is held as absolute truth by someone or especially an organization.

    Appeared in 15 recorded puzzles.

  • tent

    noun — A pavilion or portable lodge consisting of skins, canvas, or some strong cloth, stretched and sustained by poles, used for sheltering people from the weather.

    verb — To go camping.

    noun — Attention; regard, care.

    verb — To attend to; to heed

    noun — A roll of lint or linen, or a conical or cylindrical piece of sponge or other absorbent, used chiefly to dilate a natural canal, to keep open the orifice of a wound, or to absorb discharges.

    verb — (sometimes figurative) To probe or to search with a tent; to keep open with a tent.

    Appeared in 15 recorded puzzles.

  • text

    noun — A writing consisting of multiple glyphs, characters, symbols or sentences.

    verb — To send a text message to; i.e. to transmit text using the Short Message Service (SMS), or a similar service, between communications devices, particularly mobile phones.

    noun — A book, tome or other set of writings.

    noun — A brief written message transmitted between mobile phones.

    noun — Data which can be interpreted as human-readable text.

    noun — A verse or passage of Scripture, especially one chosen as the subject of a sermon, or in proof of a doctrine.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • textual

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • tulle

    noun — A kind of silk lace or light netting, used for clothing, veils, etc.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • tuna

    noun — The edible flesh of the tuna.

    noun — Any of several species of fish of the genus Thunnus in the family Scombridae.

    noun — The prickly pear, a type of cactus native to Mexico in the genus Opuntia.

    noun — The fruit of the cactus.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • tune

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • tunnel

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • tutee

    noun — A student of a tutor.

    Appeared in 8 recorded puzzles.

  • tutu

    noun — A ballet skirt made of layered stiff but light netting.

    noun — Any of the genus Coriaria of shrubs and trees found in New Zealand.

    Appeared in 15 recorded puzzles.

  • ululate

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • uneaten

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • unlet

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • untune

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

Hints, no spoilers

Words by first two letters

  • an×4
  • at×2
  • au×1
  • ea×1
  • el×1
  • en×1
  • ex×7
  • la×6
  • le×2
  • lu×4
  • na×2
  • ne×4
  • ta×9
  • te×12
  • tu×6
  • ul×1
  • un×3

Words by first letter and length

45678910Σ
a 2·1112· 7
e ·43111· 10
l 3432··· 12
n 213···· 6
t 135512·1 27
u ·112··· 4
Σ 2015167431 66

The numbers

Genius today takes 221 points of 316 available. The average answer runs 5.6 letters.

Total points vs. all 427 recorded puzzles
90th percentile
Word count vs. all recorded puzzles
93rd percentile

Word lengths, today vs. 19259 recorded answers

420 today34.4% all-time515 today22.9% all-time616 today20.0% all-time77 today12.1% all-time84 today6.3% all-time93 today2.6% all-time101 today1.3% 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, October 12, 2025 Tuesday, October 7, 2025
e Wednesday, October 15, 2025 Friday, September 19, 2025
l Tuesday, October 14, 2025 Friday, October 10, 2025
n Wednesday, October 15, 2025 Thursday, October 9, 2025
t ● Wednesday, October 15, 2025 Monday, October 13, 2025
u Saturday, October 11, 2025 Thursday, September 25, 2025
x Wednesday, October 8, 2025 first recorded time

Most common answers, all recorded puzzles

  1. noon 45
  2. naan 34
  3. nana 34
  4. toot 32
  5. onion 31
  6. loll 29
  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.