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 21 recorded puzzles.

  • anally

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 12 recorded puzzles.

  • ancillary

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • annal

    noun — The record of a single event or item.

    Appeared in 21 recorded puzzles.

  • arancini

    noun — A baked rice ball, filled with cheese or other sauce, originally from Sicily.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • arcana

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • arnica

    noun — Any of several plants, of the genus Arnica, considered to have medicinal properties, especially Arnica montana.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • cairn

    noun — A rounded or conical heap of stones erected by early inhabitants of the British Isles, apparently as a sepulchral monument.

    noun — A pile of stones heaped up as a landmark, to guide travelers on land or at sea, or to arrest attention, as in surveying, or in leaving traces of an exploring party, etc.

    noun — A cairn terrier.

    Appeared in 4 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 11 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 23 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 23 recorded puzzles.

  • cannily

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • canny

    adjective — Careful, prudent, cautious.

    adverb — Very, considerably; quite, rather.

    adjective — (especially of sound) Sounding as if it is coming through a tin can.

    adjective — Knowing, shrewd, astute.

    adjective — Frugal, thrifty.

    adjective — Pleasant, fair, favorable or agreeable to deal with.

    Appeared in 6 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 11 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

    noun — The braincase or neurocranium; that part of the skull consisting of the bones enclosing the brain, but not including the bones of the face or jaw.

    noun — The upper portion of the skull, including the neurocranium and facial bones, but not including the jawbone (mandible).

    noun — The skull.

    Appeared in 4 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

    noun — A vibrant pale greenish-blue colour between blue and green in the visible spectrum; the complementary colour of red; the colour obtained by subtracting red from white light.

    adjective — Of the colour cyan.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • cynic

    noun — A person who believes that all people are motivated by selfishness.

    adjective — Cynical (in all senses)

    noun — A person whose outlook is scornfully negative.

    adjective — Relating to the Dog Star.

    Appeared in 6 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 33 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 33 recorded puzzles.

  • nanny

    noun — A child's nurse.

    verb — To serve as a nanny.

    noun — A grandmother.

    noun — A godmother.

    noun — A female goat.

    verb — To treat like a nanny's charges; to coddle.

    Appeared in 14 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 15 recorded puzzles.

  • ninny

    noun — A silly or foolish person.

    Appeared in 7 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 12 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 12 recorded puzzles.

  • ricin

    noun — An extremely toxic protein extracted from the castor bean.

    Appeared in 7 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 420 recorded puzzles
60th percentile
Word count vs. all recorded puzzles
48th percentile

Word lengths, today vs. 18971 recorded answers

412 today34.4% all-time513 today23.0% all-time610 today20.0% all-time73 today12.0% all-time83 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 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 44
  2. naan 33
  3. nana 33
  4. onion 31
  5. toot 30
  6. loll 29
  7. mama 27
  8. mamma 27
  9. acacia 25
  10. acai 25
  11. nene 25
  12. cocoon 24
  13. mini 24
  14. minim 24
  15. loon 24
  16. olio 24
  17. aria 23
  18. imam 23
  19. maim 23
  20. mitt 23
  21. cancan 23
  22. canna 23
  23. neon 23
  24. none 23
  25. onto 22

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.