The Unofficial Hive

NYT Spelling Bee answers & analysis

ACILRYN

Sunday, November 9, 2025

Words
45
Points
226
Genius
158
Pangram
1

Official answers

Show the 45 answersHide answers

Pangram highlighted. Click a word for its definition.

  • anal

    adjective — Of a person, compulsive and stubborn, obsessed with neatness and accuracy, supposedly from not having progressed beyond the anal stage.

    adjective — Of, related to, intended for or involving the anus.

    adjective — Of the stage in psychosexual development when the child's interest is alleged to be concentrated on the anal region.

    noun — Anal sex.

    noun — Any of the anal scales of a reptile.

    adjective — (of a vein) Proximate to the thorax.

    Appeared in 18 recorded puzzles.

  • anally

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 10 recorded puzzles.

  • ancillary

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • annal

    noun — The record of a single event or item.

    Appeared in 18 recorded puzzles.

  • arancini

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • arcana

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • arnica

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • cairn

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • canal

    noun — An artificial waterway or artificially improved river used for travel, shipping, or irrigation.

    noun — A tubular channel within the body.

    verb — To dig an artificial waterway in or to (a place), especially for drainage

    verb — To travel along a canal by boat

    Appeared in 9 recorded puzzles.

  • canary

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 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 21 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 21 recorded puzzles.

  • cannily

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • canny

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • carnal

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • carnally

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • carny

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • clan

    noun — A group of people all descended from a common ancestor, in fact or belief.

    noun — Any group defined by family ties with some sort of political unity.

    noun — A group of players who habitually play on the same team in multiplayer games.

    noun — A traditional social group of families in the Scottish Highlands having a common hereditary chieftain

    noun — A badger colony.

    Appeared in 9 recorded puzzles.

  • clinic

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 15 recorded puzzles.

  • clinical

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • clinically

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • clinician

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • crania

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • cranial

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • cranny

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • cyan

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • cynic

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • cynical

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • cynically

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • inlay

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 8 recorded puzzles.

  • lain

    verb — To rest in a horizontal position on a surface.

    verb — To be placed or situated.

    verb — To abide; to remain for a longer or shorter time; to be in a certain state or condition.

    verb — Used with with: to have sexual relations with.

    verb — Used with in: to be or exist; to belong or pertain; to have an abiding place; to consist.

    verb — Used with on/upon: to be incumbent (on); to be the responsibility of a person.

    Appeared in 15 recorded puzzles.

  • lanai

    noun — (Florida) A Hawaiian-style roofed patio.

    Appeared in 15 recorded puzzles.

  • naan

    noun — A type of round, flat bread baked in a tandoor popular in South and Central Asian cuisine.

    Appeared in 30 recorded puzzles.

  • nail

    noun — The thin, horny plate at the ends of fingers and toes on humans and some other animals.

    noun — A spike-shaped metal fastener used for joining wood or similar materials. The nail is generally driven through two or more layers of material by means of impacts from a hammer or other device. It is then held in place by friction.

    verb — To fix (an object) to another object using a nail.

    verb — To drive a nail.

    verb — To nail down: to make certain, or confirm.

    verb — To accomplish (a task) completely and successfully.

    Appeared in 15 recorded puzzles.

  • nana

    noun — (term of endearment) one's grandmother

    noun — A banana

    noun — A fool

    noun — A nanny

    Appeared in 30 recorded puzzles.

  • nanny

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 12 recorded puzzles.

  • narc

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • nary

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • niacin

    noun — A water-soluble vitamin, a component of vitamin B complex, found in meat, yeast, and dairy products; it is essential to metabolism.

    Appeared in 13 recorded puzzles.

  • ninny

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • rain

    noun — Condensed water falling from a cloud.

    verb — To have rain fall from the sky.

    noun — Any matter moving or falling, usually through air, and especially if liquid or otherwise figuratively identifiable with raindrops.

    verb — To fall as or like rain.

    verb — To issue (something) in large quantities.

    Appeared in 11 recorded puzzles.

  • rainy

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • rani

    noun — A Hindu princess or female ruler in India.

    noun — The wife of a rajah.

    Appeared in 11 recorded puzzles.

  • ricin

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • yarn

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

Hints, no spoilers

Words by first two letters

  • an×4
  • ar×3
  • ca×10
  • cl×5
  • cr×3
  • cy×4
  • in×1
  • la×2
  • na×6
  • ni×2
  • ra×3
  • ri×1
  • ya×1

Words by first letter and length

45678910Σ
a 113·11· 7
c 2663221 22
i ·1····· 1
l 11····· 2
n 521···· 8
r 22····· 4
y 1······ 1
Σ 1213103331 45

The numbers

Genius today takes 158 points of 226 available. The average answer runs 5.7 letters.

Total points vs. all 378 recorded puzzles
59th percentile
Word count vs. all recorded puzzles
47th percentile

Word lengths, today vs. 17142 recorded answers

412 today34.5% all-time513 today22.8% all-time610 today20.0% all-time73 today12.1% all-time83 today6.3% all-time93 today2.5% all-time101 today1.2% all-time110.3% all-time120.1% all-time130.0% all-time

History

Today's letters, last seen

LetterLast in a puzzleLast as center
a Wednesday, November 5, 2025 Thursday, October 23, 2025
c Saturday, November 8, 2025 Tuesday, September 16, 2025
i Saturday, November 8, 2025 Tuesday, October 28, 2025
l Saturday, November 8, 2025 Saturday, November 1, 2025
n ● Wednesday, November 5, 2025 Wednesday, November 5, 2025
r Saturday, November 8, 2025 Thursday, October 30, 2025
y Wednesday, November 5, 2025 Tuesday, October 21, 2025

Most common answers, all recorded puzzles

  1. noon 41
  2. naan 30
  3. nana 30
  4. onion 28
  5. toot 27
  6. loll 27
  7. mama 24
  8. mamma 24
  9. cocoon 23
  10. nene 23
  11. acacia 22
  12. acai 22
  13. bill 22
  14. loon 22
  15. aria 21
  16. onto 21
  17. toon 21
  18. cancan 21
  19. canna 21
  20. neon 21
  21. none 21
  22. olio 21
  23. anon 20
  24. lull 19
  25. lulu 19

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.