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.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • dildo

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

    noun — An idiot, a bore.

    Appeared in 10 recorded puzzles.

  • dill

    noun — Anethum graveolens (the type species of the genus Anethum), a herb, the seeds of which are moderately warming, pungent, and aromatic, formerly used as a soothing medicine for children; also known as dillseed.

    verb — To cook or flavor with dill

    verb — To still; to assuage; to calm; to soothe, as one in pain.

    noun — A cucumber pickled with dill flavoring

    noun — A fool.

    Appeared in 20 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.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • hiked

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • hill

    noun — An elevated location smaller than a mountain.

    verb — To form into a heap or mound.

    noun — A sloping road.

    noun — A heap of earth surrounding a plant.

    noun — A single cluster or group of plants growing close together, and having the earth heaped up about them.

    noun — The pitcher’s mound.

    Appeared in 11 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 10 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.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • kiddie

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • 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

    noun — (usually in the plural) Something that a person likes (prefers).

    verb — To enjoy, be pleased by; favor; be in favor of.

    noun — (sometimes as the likes of') Someone similar to a given person, or something similar to a given object; a comparative; a type; a sort.

    adjective — Similar.

    adverb — Likely.

    preposition — Similar to, reminiscent of.

    Appeared in 7 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 24 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 13 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 472 recorded puzzles
29th percentile
Word count vs. all recorded puzzles
32nd percentile

Word lengths, today vs. 21360 recorded answers

414 today34.4% all-time510 today22.9% all-time611 today20.2% 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 47
  2. naan 39
  3. nana 39
  4. onion 33
  5. toot 33
  6. acacia 30
  7. acai 30
  8. loll 30
  9. mama 29
  10. mamma 29
  11. nene 29
  12. mini 27
  13. minim 27
  14. imam 26
  15. maim 26
  16. onto 26
  17. toon 26
  18. cancan 26
  19. canna 26
  20. cocoon 25
  21. lilt 25
  22. till 25
  23. tilt 25
  24. mitt 25
  25. natant 25

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.