The Unofficial Hive

NYT Spelling Bee answers & analysis

DEILNUF

Sunday, September 27, 2026

Edited by Sam Ezersky

Words
78
Points
431
Genius
301
Pangrams
4

Official answers

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Pangrams highlighted. Click a word for its definition.

  • defend

    verb — To ward off attacks against; to fight to protect; to guard.

    verb — To support by words or writing; to vindicate, talk in favour of.

    verb — To make legal defence of; to represent (the accused).

    verb — To focus one's energies and talents on preventing opponents from scoring, as opposed to focusing on scoring.

    verb — To attempt to retain a title, or attempt to reach the same stage in a competition as one did in the previous edition of that competition.

    verb — To call a raise from the big blind.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • defended

    verb — To ward off attacks against; to fight to protect; to guard.

    verb — To support by words or writing; to vindicate, talk in favour of.

    verb — To make legal defence of; to represent (the accused).

    verb — To focus one's energies and talents on preventing opponents from scoring, as opposed to focusing on scoring.

    verb — To attempt to retain a title, or attempt to reach the same stage in a competition as one did in the previous edition of that competition.

    verb — To call a raise from the big blind.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • defied

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • defile

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • defiled

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • define

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • defined

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • defund

    verb — To cancel funding for.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • defunded

    verb — To cancel funding for.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • deified

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • duff

    noun — Dough.

    noun — Decaying vegetable matter on the forest floor.

    adjective — Worthless; not working properly, defective.

    noun — The buttocks.

    verb — To disguise something to make it look new.

    noun — A large frame drum, resembling a tambourine, used to accompany popular and classical music in the Middle East.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • duffel

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • duffle

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • edified

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • elfin

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • feed

    noun — Food given to (especially herbivorous) animals.

    verb — (ditransitive) To give (someone or something) food to eat.

    verb — To reward for services performed, or to be performed; to recompense; to hire or keep in hire; hence, to bribe.

    noun — Something supplied continuously.

    noun — The part of a machine that supplies the material to be operated upon.

    noun — The forward motion of the material fed into a machine.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • feel

    verb — (heading) To sense or think emotionally or judgmentally.

    verb — (heading) To use or experience the sense of touch.

    verb — To seem (through touch or otherwise).

    noun — A vague mental impression.

    noun — A quality of an object experienced by touch.

    verb — To be or become aware of.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • felid

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • feline

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • fell

    verb — To make something fall; especially to chop down a tree.

    verb — To strike down, kill, destroy.

    adjective — Of a strong and cruel nature; eager and unsparing; grim; fierce; ruthless; savage.

    noun — (obsolete outside Britain) A rocky ridge or chain of mountains.

    noun — (obsolete outside Britain) A wild field or upland moor.

    noun — The stitching down of a fold of cloth; specifically, the portion of a kilt, from the waist to the seat, where the pleats are stitched down.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • felled

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • fend

    noun — Self-support; taking care of one's own well-being.

    verb — To take care of oneself; to take responsibility for one's own well-being.

    noun — An enemy; fiend; the Devil.

    verb — (except as "fend for oneself") To defend, to take care of (typically construed with for); to block or push away (typically construed with off).

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • fended

    verb — To take care of oneself; to take responsibility for one's own well-being.

    verb — (except as "fend for oneself") To defend, to take care of (typically construed with for); to block or push away (typically construed with off).

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • fennel

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • feud

    noun — A state of long-standing mutual hostility.

    verb — To carry on a feud.

    noun — An estate granted to a vassal by a feudal lord in exchange for service.

    noun — A staged rivalry between wrestlers.

    noun — A combination of kindred to avenge injuries or affronts, done or offered to any of their blood, on the offender and all his race.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • feuded

    verb — To carry on a feud.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • fiddle

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • fiddled

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • fief

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • field

    noun — A land area free of woodland, cities, and towns; open country.

    verb — To intercept or catch (a ball) and play it.

    noun — A wide, open space that is usually used to grow crops or to hold farm animals.

    noun — A place where competitive matches are carried out.

    noun — Any of various figurative meanings, regularly dead metaphors.

    verb — (and other batting sports) To be the team catching and throwing the ball, as opposed to hitting it.

  • fielded

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • fiend

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • fife

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • fifed

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • file

    noun — A collection of papers collated and archived together.

    verb — To commit (official papers) to some office.

    noun — A column of people one behind another, whether "single file" or in a large group with many files side by side.

    verb — To move in a file.

    noun — A hand tool consisting of a handle to which a block of coarse metal is attached, and used for removing sharp edges or for cutting, especially through metal.

    verb — To smooth, grind, or cut with a file.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • filed

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • fill

    verb — To occupy fully, to take up all of.

    noun — (after a possessive) A sufficient or more than sufficient amount.

    noun — One of the thills or shafts of a carriage.

    verb — To add contents to (a container, cavity or the like) so that it is full.

    verb — To enter (something), making it full.

    verb — To become full.

    Appeared in 12 recorded puzzles.

  • filled

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • find

    noun — Anything that is found (usually valuable), as objects on an archeological site or a person with talent.

    verb — To encounter or discover by accident; to happen upon.

    noun — The act of finding.

    verb — To encounter or discover something being searched for; to locate.

    verb — (ditransitive) To discover by study or experiment direct to an object or end.

    verb — To gain, as the object of desire or effort.

  • fine

    noun — Fine champagne; French brandy.

    verb — To make finer, purer, or cleaner; to purify or clarify.

    adjective — Senses referring to subjective quality.

    adverb — Expression of (typically) reluctant agreement.

    noun — A fee levied as punishment for breaking the law.

    verb — To issue a fine as punishment to (someone).

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • fined

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • finned

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • fled

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • flee

    verb — To run away; to escape.

    verb — To escape from.

    verb — To disappear quickly; to vanish.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • flied

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • flue

    noun — A pipe or duct that carries gaseous combustion products away from the point of combustion (such as a furnace).

    noun — An enclosed passageway in which to direct air or other gaseous current along.

    noun — In an organ flue pipe, the opening between the lower lip and the languet.

    noun — A woolly or downy substance; down, nap; a piece of this.

    adjective — Shallow; flat

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • fluff

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • fluffed

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • fluid

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • fuddle

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • fuddled

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • fuel

    noun — Substance consumed to provide energy through combustion, or through chemical or nuclear reaction.

    verb — To provide with fuel.

    noun — Something that stimulates, encourages or maintains an action.

    verb — To exacerbate, to cause to grow or become greater.

    noun — Substance that provides nourishment for a living organism; food.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • fueled

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • fulfill

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • fulfilled

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • full

    adjective — Containing the maximum possible amount that can fit in the space available.

    adverb — Fully; quite; very; thoroughly; completely; exactly; entirely.

    noun — Utmost measure or extent; highest state or degree; the state, position, or moment of fullness; fill.

    verb — (of the moon) To become full or wholly illuminated.

    verb — To baptise.

    verb — To make cloth denser and firmer by soaking, beating and pressing, to waulk, walk

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • fund

    noun — A sum or source of money.

    verb — To pay for.

    noun — An organization managing such money.

    noun — A money-management operation, such as a mutual fund.

    noun — A large supply of something to be drawn upon.

    verb — To place (money) in a fund.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • funded

    verb — To pay for.

    adjective — Having received financial support; paid for.

    verb — To place (money) in a fund.

    verb — To form a debt into a stock charged with interest.

    adjective — Invested in public funds; existing in the form of bonds.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • funnel

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • funneled

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • infidel

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • infield

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • infill

    noun — That which fills in a space, hole or gap.

    verb — To fill in a space, hole or gap.

    noun — Infiltration, the act of going into a place.

    noun — The redecoration of a fingernail or toenail after it has grown, to prevent an unsightly gap.

    verb — To rededicate land in an urban environment to new construction.

    Appeared in 8 recorded puzzles.

  • infilled

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • life

    noun — The state of organisms preceding their death, characterized by biological processes such as metabolism and reproduction and distinguishing them from inanimate objects; the state of being alive and living.

    noun — The animating principle or force that keeps an inorganic thing or concept metaphorically alive (dynamic, relevant, etc) and makes it a "living document", "living constitution", etc.

    noun — Lifeforms, generally or collectively.

    noun — A living individual; the fact of a particular individual being alive. (Chiefly when indicating individuals were lost (died) or saved.)

    noun — Existence.

    noun — A period of time during which something has existence.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • lifeline

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • luff

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • luffed

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • needful

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • nullified

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • undefended

    adjective — Not defended.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • undefined

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • unfed

    noun — A mosquito that has not had a blood meal.

    adjective — Not fed.

    adjective — Unsupported.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • unfiled

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • unfilled

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • unfulfilled

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • unfunded

    adjective — Not funded; having received no funding.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • unified

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

unfiled is a perfect pangram — all seven letters, each used exactly once.

Hints, no spoilers

Words by first two letters

  • de×10
  • du×3
  • ed×1
  • el×1
  • fe×11
  • fi×16
  • fl×7
  • fu×11
  • in×4
  • li×2
  • lu×2
  • ne×1
  • nu×1
  • un×8

Words by first letter and length

4567891011Σ
d 1·732··· 13
e ·1·1···· 2
f 17912511·· 45
i ··121··· 4
l 2·1·1··· 4
n ···1·1·· 2
u ·1·22111 8
Σ 201121147311 78

The numbers

Genius today takes 301 points of 431 available. The average answer runs 5.9 letters.

Total points vs. all 456 recorded puzzles
100th percentile
Word count vs. all recorded puzzles
100th percentile

Word lengths, today vs. 20611 recorded answers

420 today34.4% all-time511 today22.8% all-time621 today20.2% all-time714 today12.1% all-time87 today6.3% all-time93 today2.6% all-time101 today1.2% all-time111 today0.3% all-time120.1% all-time130.0% all-time

History

Today's letters, last seen

LetterLast in a puzzleLast as center
d Friday, September 25, 2026 Friday, September 4, 2026
e Friday, September 25, 2026 Sunday, August 30, 2026
f ● Thursday, September 17, 2026 Wednesday, September 2, 2026
i Saturday, September 26, 2026 Wednesday, September 23, 2026
l Thursday, September 24, 2026 Monday, August 31, 2026
n Friday, September 25, 2026 Tuesday, September 22, 2026
u Saturday, September 26, 2026 Thursday, September 10, 2026

Most common answers, all recorded puzzles

  1. noon 47
  2. naan 38
  3. nana 38
  4. onion 33
  5. toot 33
  6. loll 30
  7. mama 29
  8. mamma 29
  9. acacia 28
  10. acai 28
  11. nene 28
  12. imam 26
  13. maim 26
  14. onto 26
  15. toon 26
  16. mini 26
  17. minim 26
  18. cancan 25
  19. canna 25
  20. cocoon 24
  21. lilt 24
  22. till 24
  23. tilt 24
  24. aria 24
  25. mitt 24

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.