The Unofficial Hive

NYT Spelling Bee answers & analysis

ABCIMNE

Friday, December 5, 2025

Words
50
Points
205
Genius
143
Pangrams
2

Official answers

Show the 50 answersHide answers

Pangrams highlighted. Click a word for its definition.

  • acme

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 11 recorded puzzles.

  • acne

    noun — A skin condition, usually of the face, that is common in adolescents. It is characterised by red pimples, and is caused by the inflammation of sebaceous glands through bacterial infection.

    noun — A pattern of blemishes in an area of skin resulting from the skin condition.

    Appeared in 12 recorded puzzles.

  • ambiance

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • ambience

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • ameba

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • amebae

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • amebic

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • amen

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 8 recorded puzzles.

  • anemia

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • anemic

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • anime

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • babe

    noun — A baby or infant; a very young human or animal.

    noun — An attractive person, especially a young woman.

    noun — Darling (term of endearment).

    Appeared in 9 recorded puzzles.

  • bane

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • beam

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • bean

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • beanie

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • became

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • been

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • biennia

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • cabbie

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • came

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 11 recorded puzzles.

  • cane

    noun — A plant with simple stems, like bamboo or sugar cane, or the stem thereof

    noun — The stem of such a plant adapted for use as a tool

    verb — To strike or beat with a cane or similar implement

    noun — A rod-shaped tool or device, somewhat like a cane

    noun — Split rattan, as used in wickerwork, basketry and the like

    verb — To make or furnish with cane or rattan.

    Appeared in 12 recorded puzzles.

  • canine

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • cinema

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • emcee

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 11 recorded puzzles.

  • eminence

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • enema

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 8 recorded puzzles.

  • iceman

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • icemen

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • imbibe

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • imminence

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • inane

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • innie

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 15 recorded puzzles.

  • mace

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 11 recorded puzzles.

  • mane

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 8 recorded puzzles.

  • mean

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 8 recorded puzzles.

  • meanie

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • mecca

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 11 recorded puzzles.

  • meme

    noun — Something, usually humorous, which is copied and circulated online with slight adaptations, including quizzes, basic pictures, video templates etc.

    noun — A myth circulating as truth; something ineffective presented as effective, or similar.

    noun — Any unit of cultural information, such as a practice or idea, that is transmitted verbally or by repeated action from one mind to another in a comparable way to the transmission of genes.

    verb — To turn into a meme; to use a meme, especially to achieve something in real life.

    verb — To create and use humorous memes.

    verb — To joke around.

    Appeared in 15 recorded puzzles.

  • menace

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • mice

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • mien

    noun — Demeanor; facial expression or attitude, especially one which is intended by its bearer.

    noun — A specific facial expression.

    Appeared in 9 recorded puzzles.

  • mime

    noun — A form of acting without words; pantomime.

    noun — A pantomime actor.

    verb — To act without words.

    verb — To represent an action or object through gesture, without the use of sound.

    verb — To mimic.

    noun — A person who mimics others in a comical manner.

    Appeared in 11 recorded puzzles.

  • mince

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • mine

    pronoun — My; belonging to me; that which belongs to me.

    noun — A device intended to explode when stepped upon or touched, or when approached by a ship, vehicle, or person.

    noun — An excavation from which ore or solid minerals are taken, especially one consisting of underground tunnels.

    noun — Any source of wealth or resources.

    verb — To earn new units of cryptocurrency by doing certain calculations.

    noun — A machine or network of machines used to extract units of a cryptocurrency.

    Appeared in 9 recorded puzzles.

  • name

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 8 recorded puzzles.

  • nene

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 23 recorded puzzles.

  • nice

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 10 recorded puzzles.

  • niece

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 10 recorded puzzles.

  • nine

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 15 recorded puzzles.

Hints, no spoilers

Words by first two letters

  • ac×2
  • am×6
  • an×3
  • ba×2
  • be×5
  • bi×1
  • ca×4
  • ci×1
  • em×2
  • en×1
  • ic×2
  • im×2
  • in×2
  • ma×2
  • me×5
  • mi×5
  • na×1
  • ne×1
  • ni×3

Words by first letter and length

456789Σ
a 324·2· 11
b 5·21·· 8
c 2·3··· 5
e ·2··1· 3
i ·23··1 6
m 822··· 12
n 41···· 5
Σ 22914131 50

The numbers

Genius today takes 143 points of 205 available. The average answer runs 5.1 letters.

Total points vs. all 378 recorded puzzles
48th percentile
Word count vs. all recorded puzzles
58th percentile

Word lengths, today vs. 17142 recorded answers

422 today34.5% all-time59 today22.8% all-time614 today20.0% all-time71 today12.1% all-time83 today6.3% all-time91 today2.5% all-time101.2% all-time110.3% all-time120.1% all-time130.0% all-time

History

Today's letters, last seen

LetterLast in a puzzleLast as center
a Thursday, December 4, 2025 Friday, November 28, 2025
b Wednesday, November 26, 2025 Sunday, October 12, 2025
c Wednesday, December 3, 2025 Tuesday, December 2, 2025
e ● Thursday, December 4, 2025 Tuesday, November 25, 2025
i Monday, December 1, 2025 Monday, December 1, 2025
m Wednesday, December 3, 2025 Tuesday, November 18, 2025
n Monday, December 1, 2025 Monday, November 17, 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.