The Unofficial Hive

NYT Spelling Bee answers & analysis

AINOPRD

Tuesday, October 13, 2026

Edited by Sam Ezersky

Words
51
Points
227
Genius
158
Pangrams
2

Official answers

Show the 51 answersHide answers

Pangrams highlighted. Click a word for its definition.

  • adorn

    verb — To make more beautiful and attractive; to decorate.

    adjective — Adorned; ornate

    noun — Adornment

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • airdrop

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • andiron

    noun — A utensil for supporting wood when burning in a fireplace, one being placed on each side

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • android

    noun — A robot that is designed to look and act like a human being (not necessarily male)

    adjective — Possessing human qualities.

    adjective — (in pelvimetry) Of the pelvis, having a narrow anterior segment and a heart-shaped brim, typically found in the male.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • ardor

    noun — Great warmth of feeling; fervor; passion.

    noun — Spirit; enthusiasm; passion.

    noun — Intense heat.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • arid

    adjective — Very dry.

    adjective — Devoid of value.

    adjective — Describing a very dry climate. Typically defined as less than 25 cm or 10 inches of rainfall annually.

    Appeared in 8 recorded puzzles.

  • darn

    verb — Euphemism of damn.

    adjective — Damn.

    adverb — (degree) Damned.

    verb — To repair by stitching with thread or yarn, particularly by using a needle to construct a weave across a damaged area of fabric.

    noun — A place mended by darning.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • dinar

    noun — The official currency of several countries, including Algeria, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Serbia and Tunisia.

    noun — An ancient Arab gold coin of 65 grains in weight.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • dino

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 13 recorded puzzles.

  • dodo

    noun — A large, flightless bird, †Raphus cucullatus, related to the pigeon, that is now extinct (since the 1600s) and was native to Mauritius.

    noun — A person or organisation which is very old or has very old-fashioned views or is not willing to change and adapt.

    noun — Fried plantain.

    Appeared in 19 recorded puzzles.

  • donor

    noun — One who makes a donation.

    noun — A group or molecule that donates either a radical, electrons or a moiety in a chemical reaction. Compare acceptor.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • doodad

    noun — A thing (used in a vague way to refer to something whose name one cannot recall); especially an unspecified gadget, device, or part.

    Appeared in 14 recorded puzzles.

  • door

    noun — A portal of entry into a building, room, or vehicle, consisting of a rigid plane movable on a hinge. Doors are frequently made of wood or metal. May have a handle to help open and close, a latch to hold the door closed and a lock that ensures the door cannot be opened without the key.

    verb — To cause a collision by opening the door of a vehicle in front of an oncoming cyclist or pedestrian.

    noun — Any flap, etc. that opens like a door.

    noun — (immigration) An entry point.

    noun — A means of approach or access.

    noun — A barrier.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • dorado

    noun — Coryphaena hippurus, the mahi-mahi or dolphin, a species of fish with a dorsal fin that runs the length of the body, also known for iridescent coloration.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • drain

    noun — A conduit allowing liquid to flow out of an otherwise contained volume; a plughole (UK)

    verb — To cause liquid to flow out of.

    verb — To deplete of energy or resources.

    noun — Something consuming resources and providing nothing in return.

    verb — To lose liquid.

    noun — An access point or conduit for rainwater that drains directly downstream in a (drainage) basin without going through sewers or water treatment in order to prevent or belay floods.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • drip

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • droid

    noun — A robot, especially one made with some physical resemblance to a human.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • droop

    noun — Something which is limp or sagging

    verb — To hang downward; to sag.

    noun — A condition or posture of drooping

    verb — To slowly become limp; to bend gradually.

    verb — To lose all energy, enthusiasm or happiness; to flag.

    verb — To allow to droop or sink.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • drop

    noun — A small quantity of liquid, just large enough to hold its own round shape via surface tension, especially one that falls from a source of liquid.

    verb — To fall in droplets (of a liquid).

    noun — A very small quantity of liquid, or (by extension) of anything.

    noun — (now especially with "the") Alcoholic spirits in general.

    noun — That which resembles or hangs like a liquid globule: a hanging diamond ornament or earring, a glass pendant on a chandelier, etc.

    noun — A thing which drops or hangs down:

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • indoor

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • inroad

    noun — (usually plural) progress made toward accomplishing a goal or solving a problem

    noun — An advance into enemy territory, an incursion, an attempted invasion

    verb — To make an inroad into; to invade.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • nada

    pronoun — Nothing.

    Appeared in 19 recorded puzzles.

  • nadir

    noun — The lowest point; time of greatest depression.

    noun — The point of the celestial sphere, directly opposite the zenith; inferior pole of the horizon; point of the celestial sphere directly under the place of observation.

    noun — The axis of a projected conical shadow; the direction of the force of gravity at a location; down.

    noun — An empty box added beneath a full one in a beehive to give the colony more room to expand or store honey.

    verb — To extend (a beehive) by adding an empty box at the base.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • naiad

    noun — A female deity (nymph) associated with water, especially a spring, stream, or other fresh water.

    noun — The aquatic larva (nymph) of a dragonfly or damselfly.

    noun — Any of various aquatic plants of the genus Najas.

    Appeared in 13 recorded puzzles.

  • nonpaid

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • odor

    noun — Any smell, whether fragrant or offensive.

    noun — A strong, pervasive quality.

    noun — Esteem.

    noun — Something which produces a scent; incense, a perfume.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • opioid

    noun — A substance that has effects similar to opium.

    noun — Any of the natural substances, such as an endorphin, released in the body in response to pain.

    noun — Any of a group of synthetic compounds that exhibit similarities to the opium alkaloids that occur in nature.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • ordain

    verb — To admit into the ministry of a religion, for example as a priest, bishop, minister or Buddhist monk, or to authorize as a rabbi.

    verb — To decree.

    verb — To prearrange unalterably.

    verb — To predestine.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • paid

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • panda

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • pandan

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • paradrop

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • paranoid

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • pardon

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • podia

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • pond

    noun — An inland body of standing water, either natural or man-made, that is smaller than a lake.

    verb — To block the flow of water so that it can escape only through evaporation or seepage; to dam.

    verb — To ponder.

    noun — An inland body of standing water of any size that is fed by springs rather than by a river.

    noun — The Atlantic Ocean. Especially in across the pond.

    verb — To make into a pond; to collect, as water, in a pond by damming.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • prod

    noun — A device (now often electrical) used to goad livestock into moving.

    verb — To poke, to push, to touch.

    noun — A production.

    noun — A prick or stab with such a pointed instrument.

    noun — A poke.

    noun — A light kind of crossbow; a prodd.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • radar

    noun — A method of detecting distant objects and determining their position, velocity, or other characteristics by analysis of sent radio waves (usually microwaves) reflected from their surfaces

    verb — To scan with radar, or as if with radar.

    noun — A type of system using such method, differentiated by platform, configuration, frequency, power, and other technical attributes.

    noun — A superior ability to detect something.

    noun — An installation of such a system or of the transmitting and receiving apparatus.

    Appeared in 10 recorded puzzles.

  • radian

    noun — In the International System of Units, the derived unit of plane angular measure of angle equal to the angle subtended at the centre of a circle by an arc of its circumference equal in length to the radius of the circle. Symbol: rad

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • radii

    noun — A line segment between any point of a circle or sphere and its center.

    noun — The long bone in the forearm, on the side of the thumb.

    noun — The length of this line segment.

    noun — Anything resembling a radius, such as the spoke of a wheel, the movable arm of a sextant, or one of the radiating lines of a spider's web.

    noun — The lighter bone (or fused portion of bone) in the forelimb of an animal.

    noun — One of the major veins of the insect wing, between the subcosta and the media; the vein running along the costal edge of the discal cell.

    Appeared in 8 recorded puzzles.

  • radio

    noun — The technology that allows for the transmission of sound or other signals by modulation of electromagnetic waves.

    noun — On-board entertainment system in a car, usually including a radio receiver as well as the capability to play audio from recorded media.

    noun — A device that can capture (receive) the signal sent over radio waves and render the modulated signal as sound.

    noun — The continuous broadcasting of sound via the Internet in the style of traditional radio.

    noun — A device that can transmit radio signals.

    verb — To use two-way radio to transmit (a message) (to another radio or other radio operator).

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • radon

    noun — The chemical element (symbol Rn, formerly Ro) with atomic number 86. It is an odorless, colorless, chemically inert but radioactive noble gas.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • raid

    noun — An attack or invasion for the purpose of making arrests, seizing property, or plundering

    noun — A quick hostile or predatory incursion or invasion in a battle.

    noun — A large group in a massively multiplayer online game, consisting of multiple parties who team up to defeat a powerful enemy.

    noun — An activity initiated at or towards the end of a live broadcast by the broadcaster that sends its viewers to a different broadcast, primarily intended to boost the viewership of the receiving broadcaster. This is frequently accompanied by a message in the form of a hashtag that is posted in the broadcast's chat by the viewers.

    verb — To lure from another; to entice away from.

    verb — To indulge oneself by taking from.

    Appeared in 8 recorded puzzles.

  • raindrop

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • rand

    noun — The currency of South Africa, divided into 100 cents.

    noun — A border, edge or rim.

    noun — A rocky slope, especially the area over a river valley; specifically, the Rand

    noun — A strip of meat; a long fleshy piece of beef, cut from the flank or leg; a sort of steak.

    noun — A strip of leather used to fit the heels of a shoe.

    verb — To rant; to storm.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • rando

    noun — An arbitrary person with whom one has no shared social connection.

    noun — A person going to a party without being invited.

    adjective — Random; arbitrary.

    noun — Anything selected at random.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • rapid

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • rind

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • road

    noun — A way used for travelling between places, originally one wide enough to allow foot passengers and horses to travel, now (US) usually one surfaced with asphalt or concrete and designed to accommodate many vehicles travelling in both directions. In the UK both senses are heard: a country road is the same as a country lane.

    noun — A path chosen in life or career.

    adjective — At the venue of the opposing team or competitor; on the road.

    noun — A journey, or stage of a journey.

    noun — A road; or particularly a car, as a means of transportation.

    noun — (often in the plural) A partly sheltered area of water near a shore in which vessels may ride at anchor; a roadstead.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • rondo

    noun — A musical composition, commonly of a lively, cheerful character, in which the first strain recurs after each of the other strains.

    noun — A small, disk-shaped piece of food, especially a single-serving dessert or small piece of candy.

    noun — A dark-skinned grape, a hybrid of Vitis vinifera with Vitis amurensis and others.

    noun — A game resembling keep-away, used to train soccer players: one group is tasked with completing a number of passes while the other group tries to take possession of the ball.

    noun — A gambling game played with small balls on a table.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • rood

    noun — A crucifix, cross, especially in a church.

    noun — A measure of land area, equal to a quarter of an acre.

    noun — A measure of five and a half yards in length.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

Hints, no spoilers

Words by first two letters

  • ad×1
  • ai×1
  • an×2
  • ar×2
  • da×1
  • di×2
  • do×5
  • dr×5
  • in×2
  • na×3
  • no×1
  • od×1
  • op×1
  • or×1
  • pa×6
  • po×2
  • pr×1
  • ra×10
  • ri×1
  • ro×3

Words by first letter and length

45678Σ
a 12·3· 6
d 652·· 13
i ··2·· 2
n 12·1· 4
o 1·2·· 3
p 322·2 9
r 571·1 14
Σ 1718943 51

The numbers

Genius today takes 158 points of 227 available. The average answer runs 5.2 letters.

Total points vs. all 471 recorded puzzles
60th percentile
Word count vs. all recorded puzzles
62nd percentile

Word lengths, today vs. 21337 recorded answers

417 today34.4% all-time518 today22.9% all-time69 today20.2% all-time74 today12.1% all-time83 today6.3% all-time92.5% 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 Monday, October 12, 2026 Wednesday, October 7, 2026
d ● Wednesday, October 7, 2026 Friday, September 4, 2026
i Saturday, October 10, 2026 Saturday, October 3, 2026
n Sunday, October 11, 2026 Thursday, October 8, 2026
o Sunday, October 11, 2026 Saturday, September 26, 2026
p Monday, October 12, 2026 Wednesday, September 30, 2026
r Saturday, October 10, 2026 Wednesday, September 9, 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.