The Unofficial Hive

NYT Spelling Bee answers & analysis

DEHKLOI

Saturday, February 28, 2026

Words
38
Points
161
Genius
112
Pangram
1

Official answers

Show the 38 answersHide answers

Pangram highlighted. Click a word for its definition.

  • deli

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • diddle

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • diddled

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • died

    verb — To stop living; to become dead; to undergo death.

    verb — To (stop living and) undergo (a specified death).

    verb — To be so overcome with emotion or laughter as to be incapacitated.

    verb — (of a machine) To stop working, to break down.

    verb — To be mortified or shocked by a situation.

    verb — To be or become hated or utterly ignored or cut off, as if dead.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • dike

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • dildo

    noun — An artificial phallus (penis) for sexual use.

    noun — An idiot, a bore.

    Appeared in 9 recorded puzzles.

  • dill

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 18 recorded puzzles.

  • diode

    noun — An electronic device that allows current to flow in one direction only; used chiefly as a rectifier.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • dollied

    verb — To move (an object) using a dolly.

    verb — To hit a dolly.

    verb — To wash (laundry) in a tub using the stirring device called a dolly.

    verb — To beat (red-hot metal) with a hammer.

    verb — To crush ore with a dolly.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • eddied

    verb — To form an eddy; to move in, or as if in, an eddy; to move in a circle.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • elide

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • elided

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • hide

    verb — To put (something) in a place where it will be harder to discover or out of sight.

    verb — To put oneself in a place where one will be harder to find or out of sight.

    noun — The skin of an animal.

    noun — A secret room for hiding oneself or valuables; a hideaway.

    noun — (mainly British) A covered structure from which hunters, birdwatchers, etc can observe animals without scaring them.

    noun — The human skin.

    Appeared in 8 recorded puzzles.

  • hike

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • hiked

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • hill

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 8 recorded puzzles.

  • hilled

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • hoodie

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • idle

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • idled

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • idol

    noun — A cultural icon, or especially popular person.

    noun — (originally Japan) Popular entertainer; usually young, captivating, attractive; and often female, with an image of being close to fans.

    noun — A graven image or representation of anything that is revered, or believed to convey spiritual power.

    noun — An eidolon or phantom; something misleading or elusive.

    Appeared in 9 recorded puzzles.

  • iodide

    noun — A binary compound of iodine and another element or radical.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • keloid

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • kidded

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • kiddie

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • kiddo

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • kill

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • killed

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • kilo

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • lidded

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • lied

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • like

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • liked

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • likelihood

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • oiled

    adjective — Covered in, or supplied with, oil.

    verb — To lubricate with oil.

    adjective — Drunk. Usually in conjunction with well.

    verb — To grease with oil for cooking.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • oldie

    noun — A song or record from a previous era.

    noun — (in the plural) The genre of music composed of popular music from previous eras.

    noun — Something or someone old.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • olio

    noun — A medley or mixture; a hotchpotch.

    noun — A collection of various musical, theatrical or other artistic works; a miscellany.

    noun — A rich, thick, Spanish stew consisting of meat and vegetables.

    noun — (by extension) Vaudeville or similar miscellaneous musical or theatrical entertainment skits presented between the main acts of burlesque or minstrel shows.

    Appeared in 21 recorded puzzles.

  • ollie

    noun — An aerial maneuver in which one catches air by leaping off the ground with the skateboard and into the air.

    verb — To perform an ollie.

    Appeared in 11 recorded puzzles.

Hints, no spoilers

Words by first two letters

  • de×1
  • di×7
  • do×1
  • ed×1
  • el×2
  • hi×5
  • ho×1
  • id×3
  • io×1
  • ke×1
  • ki×6
  • li×5
  • oi×1
  • ol×3

Words by first letter and length

456710Σ
d 4212· 9
e ·12·· 3
h 312·· 6
i 211·· 4
k 214·· 7
l 211·1 5
o 13··· 4
Σ 14101121 38

The numbers

Genius today takes 112 points of 161 available. The average answer runs 5.2 letters.

Total points vs. all 378 recorded puzzles
28th percentile
Word count vs. all recorded puzzles
33rd percentile

Word lengths, today vs. 17142 recorded answers

414 today34.5% all-time510 today22.8% all-time611 today20.0% all-time72 today12.1% all-time86.3% all-time92.5% 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
d Wednesday, February 25, 2026 Monday, January 26, 2026
e Friday, February 27, 2026 Friday, February 6, 2026
h Monday, February 23, 2026 Monday, February 23, 2026
i ● Friday, February 27, 2026 Thursday, February 26, 2026
k Wednesday, February 25, 2026 Friday, January 23, 2026
l Friday, February 27, 2026 Sunday, February 22, 2026
o Wednesday, February 25, 2026 Tuesday, February 24, 2026

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.