The Unofficial Hive

NYT Spelling Bee answers & analysis

GILNOTB

Saturday, September 19, 2026

Edited by Sam Ezersky

Words
58
Points
309
Genius
216
Pangrams
4

Official answers

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Pangrams highlighted. Click a word for its definition.

  • bigot

    noun — One who is narrow-mindedly devoted to one's own ideas and groups, and intolerant of (people of) differing ideas, races, genders, religions, politics, etc.

    noun — One who is overly pious in matters of religion, often hypocritically or else superstitiously so.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • bill

    noun — A piece of paper money; a banknote.

    noun — A written note of goods sold, services rendered, or work done, with the price or charge; an invoice.

    verb — To charge; to send a bill to.

    noun — A draft of a law, presented to a legislature for enactment; a proposed or projected law.

    noun — The beak of a bird, especially when small or flattish; sometimes also used with reference to a platypus, turtle, or other animal.

    noun — Of a cap or hat: the brim or peak, serving as a shade to keep sun off the face and out of the eyes.

    Appeared in 23 recorded puzzles.

  • billing

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • billion

    noun — (modern British & Australian, short scale) a thousand million (logic: 1,000 × 1,000^2): 1 followed by nine zeros, 109; a milliard

    noun — (British & Australian, long scale) A million million (logic: 1,000,000^2): a 1 followed by twelve zeros; 1012

    noun — An unspecified very large number.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • biltong

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • binging

    verb — To engage in a short period of excessive consumption, especially of excessive alcohol consumption.

    verb — To go; walk; come; run

    verb — Making the sound of a bounce

    verb — To bounce

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • bingo

    noun — A game of chance for two or more players, who mark off numbers on a grid as they are announced by the caller; the game is won by the first person to call out "bingo!" or "house!" after crossing off all numbers on the grid or in one line of the grid.

    verb — To play the game of bingo.

    adjective — Just sufficient to return to base (or, alternatively, to divert to an alternative airfield). (also written Bingo or BINGO)

    interjection — Used by players of bingo to claim a win.

    noun — Brandy.

    noun — A win in such a game.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • binning

    verb — To dispose of (something) by putting it into a bin, or as if putting it into a bin.

    noun — A data pre-processing technique in which original data values fall into a small interval ("bin") and are replaced by a value representative of that interval, often the central value. Wp

    verb — To throw away, reject, give up.

    verb — To convert continuous data into discrete groups.

    verb — To place into a bin for storage.

    noun — The process of grouping reads or contigs and assigning them to operational taxonomic units. Wp

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • biotin

    noun — A sulfur-containing member of the vitamin B complex, 5-[(3aS,4S,6aR)-2-oxohexahydro-1H-thieno[3,4-d]imidazol-4-yl]pentanoic acid, found in liver, egg yolk, milk and yeast, essential to the activity of multiple enzyme systems.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • biting

    verb — To cut into something by clamping the teeth.

    noun — An instance of something being bitten.

    adjective — Causing a stinging sensation.

    verb — To hold something by clamping one's teeth.

    verb — To attack with the teeth.

    verb — To behave aggressively; to reject advances.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • blin

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 13 recorded puzzles.

  • bling

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • blini

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 13 recorded puzzles.

  • blob

    noun — A shapeless or amorphous mass; a vague shape or amount, especially of a liquid or semisolid substance; a clump, group or collection that lacks definite shape.

    verb — To drop in the form of a blob or blobs

    noun — Acronym of binary large object. (a data type that allows storage of binary data often of indeterminate length).

    noun — In astronomy, a large cloud of gas. In particular, an extended Lyman-Alpha blob is a huge body of gas that may be the precursor to a galaxy.

    noun — A bubble; a bleb.

    noun — A small freshwater fish (Cottus bairdii); the miller's thumb.

    Appeared in 10 recorded puzzles.

  • blobbing

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • blog

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • blogging

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • blot

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • blotting

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • blotto

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • bobbin

    noun — A spool or cylinder around which wire is coiled.

    noun — In a sewing machine, the small spool that holds the lower thread.

    noun — The little rounded piece of wood at the end of a latch string, which is pulled to raise the latch.

    noun — (haberdashery) A fine cord or narrow braid.

    Appeared in 8 recorded puzzles.

  • bobbing

    verb — To move gently and vertically, in either a single motion or repeatedly up and down, at or near the surface of a body of water, or similar medium.

    verb — To cut (hair) into a bob haircut.

    noun — The motion of something that bobs.

    verb — To move (something) as though it were bobbing in water.

    verb — To curtsy.

    verb — To strike with a quick, light blow; to tap.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • bobbling

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • bogging

    verb — (now often with "down") To sink or submerge someone or something into bogland.

    verb — To provoke, to bug.

    verb — (usually with "off") To go away.

    adjective — Stinking; disgusting.

    verb — To prevent or slow someone or something from making progress.

    verb — (now often with "down") To sink and stick in bogland.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • boggling

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • boil

    noun — A localized accumulation of pus in the skin, resulting from infection.

    noun — The point at which fluid begins to change to a vapour.

    verb — (of liquids) To heat to the point where it begins to turn into a gas.

    noun — A dish of boiled food, especially based on seafood.

    noun — The collective noun for a group of hawks.

    verb — To cook in boiling water.

    Appeared in 8 recorded puzzles.

  • boiling

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • boing

    noun — The sound made by an elastic object (such as a spring) when bouncing; the sound of a bounce.

    verb — To make a boing sound or bouncing motion.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • boll

    noun — The rounded seed-bearing capsule of a cotton or flax plant.

    verb — To form a boll or seed vessel; to go to seed.

    noun — An old dry measure equal to six bushels.

    Appeared in 10 recorded puzzles.

  • bolo

    noun — A long, heavy, single-edged machete.

    verb — To attack or despatch with a bolo knife.

    noun — A soldier not capable of the minimum standards of marksmanship.

    verb — To fail to meet the minimum standards of marksmanship.

    noun — A string or leather necktie secured with an ornamental slide.

    verb — To dress (somebody) in a bolo.

    Appeared in 10 recorded puzzles.

  • bolt

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • bolting

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • bonbon

    noun — A sweet, especially a small chocolate-covered candy.

    noun — A small, spherical savory snack or canapé.

    noun — A Christmas cracker.

    Appeared in 11 recorded puzzles.

  • bong

    noun — The clang of a large bell.

    verb — To pull a bell.

    noun — A vessel, usually made of glass or ceramic and filled with water, used in smoking various substances; especially marijuana or pot.

    noun — A very wide piton.

    noun — (thieves' cant) A purse.

    noun — An Australian Aboriginal person.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • bongo

    noun — A striped bovine mammal found in Africa, Tragelaphus eurycerus.

    noun — Either of a pair of small drums of Cuban origin, played by beating with the hands.

    verb — To play the bongo drums.

    verb — Of the heart, etc.: to beat with an irregular rhythm.

    verb — To hit something rhythmically with the hands.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • boning

    verb — To prepare (meat, etc) by removing the bone or bones from.

    verb — To apprehend, steal.

    verb — To sight along an object or set of objects to check whether they are level or in line.

    noun — The removal of bones from a carcass; filleting.

    verb — To fertilize with bone.

    verb — To put whalebone into.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • bonito

    noun — Any of various marine fish of the genus Sarda, that are related to and resemble the tuna.

    noun — A large tropical fish, the skipjack tuna, allied to the tunny, Katsuwonus pelamis.

    noun — The medregal (Seriola fasciata), an edible fish of the southern of the United States and the West Indies.

    noun — The cobia or crab eater (Rachycentron canadum), an edible fish of warm waters globally.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • bonobo

    noun — The pygmy chimpanzee, Pan paniscus, from Africa south of the Congo river.

    Appeared in 11 recorded puzzles.

  • boob

    noun — Idiot, fool.

    verb — To behave stupidly; to act like a boob.

    adjective — Idiotic, foolish.

    noun — A breast, especially that of an adult or adolescent human female.

    noun — A prison; jail.

    verb — To make a mistake

    Appeared in 13 recorded puzzles.

  • booboo

    noun — A mistake or error.

    noun — (by or to young children) A minor injury, such as a cut or a bruise.

    noun — (by or to young children) Feces.

    Appeared in 13 recorded puzzles.

  • booing

    verb — To shout extended boos derisively.

    noun — A disapproving exclamation by a member of an audience.

    verb — To shout extended boos at, as a form of derision.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • boon

    noun — A prayer; petition.

    adjective — Good; prosperous.

    noun — The woody portion of flax, separated from the fiber as refuse matter by retting, braking, and scutching.

    noun — That which is asked or granted as a benefit or favor; a gift or benefaction.

    noun — A good thing; a blessing or benefit; a thing to be thankful for.

    noun — An unpaid service due by a tenant to his lord.

    Appeared in 11 recorded puzzles.

  • boot

    noun — A heavy shoe that covers part of the leg.

    verb — To kick.

    noun — Remedy, amends.

    verb — To avail, benefit, profit.

    noun — The act or process of bootstrapping; the starting or re-starting of a computing device.

    verb — To bootstrap; to start a system, e.g. a computer, by invoking its boot process or bootstrap.

    Appeared in 9 recorded puzzles.

  • booting

    verb — To kick.

    verb — To avail, benefit, profit.

    verb — To bootstrap; to start a system, e.g. a computer, by invoking its boot process or bootstrap.

    noun — A kicking, as with a booted foot.

    verb — To put boots on, especially for riding.

    verb — To apply corporal punishment (compare slippering).

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • bottling

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • gibbon

    noun — A small ape of the family Hylobatidae with long limbs, which it uses to travel through rainforests by swinging from branch to branch.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • gibing

    verb — Alternative spelling of gybe

    noun — A gibe.

    verb — Alternative spelling of jibe

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • glib

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • glob

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • gobbling

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • goblin

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • lobbing

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • lobo

    noun — A wolf.

    Appeared in 10 recorded puzzles.

  • nibbling

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • noob

    noun — (often pejorative) A newb or newbie; refers to the idea that someone is new to a game, concept, or idea; implying a lack of experience. Also, in some areas the word noob can mean someone is obsessed with things.

    Appeared in 11 recorded puzzles.

  • obit

    noun — Death of a person.

    noun — An obituary.

    noun — A mass or other service held for the soul of a dead person.

    noun — A record of a person's death.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • obliging

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • oblong

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

biltong, bolting are perfect pangrams — all seven letters, each used exactly once.

Hints, no spoilers

Words by first two letters

  • bi×10
  • bl×10
  • bo×25
  • gi×2
  • gl×2
  • go×2
  • lo×2
  • ni×1
  • no×1
  • ob×3

Words by first letter and length

45678Σ
b 13610106 45
g 2·3·1 6
l 1··1· 2
n 1···1 2
o 1·1·1 3
Σ 18614119 58

The numbers

Genius today takes 216 points of 309 available. The average answer runs 5.8 letters.

Total points vs. all 447 recorded puzzles
89th percentile
Word count vs. all recorded puzzles
80th percentile

Word lengths, today vs. 20181 recorded answers

418 today34.5% all-time56 today22.8% all-time614 today20.2% all-time711 today12.0% all-time89 today6.3% all-time92.6% 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
b ● Monday, September 14, 2026 Sunday, September 6, 2026
g Tuesday, September 15, 2026 Monday, September 14, 2026
i Friday, September 18, 2026 Saturday, September 12, 2026
l Thursday, September 17, 2026 Monday, August 31, 2026
n Friday, September 18, 2026 Sunday, September 13, 2026
o Thursday, September 17, 2026 Monday, August 17, 2026
t Friday, September 18, 2026 Thursday, September 3, 2026

Most common answers, all recorded puzzles

  1. noon 46
  2. naan 37
  3. nana 37
  4. onion 32
  5. toot 32
  6. loll 30
  7. mama 29
  8. mamma 29
  9. acacia 27
  10. acai 27
  11. imam 26
  12. maim 26
  13. mini 26
  14. minim 26
  15. nene 26
  16. onto 25
  17. toon 25
  18. cocoon 24
  19. lilt 24
  20. till 24
  21. tilt 24
  22. aria 24
  23. mitt 24
  24. natant 24
  25. cancan 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.