Monday, March 16, 2026

Answers to yesterday's Bee

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The official answers for today's puzzle are:

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Number of Pangrams: 1

Maximum Puzzle Score: 225

Number of Answers: 38

Points Needed for Genius: 158

Genius requires between 20 and 32 words. You need at least an 8-letter word to reach genius. If you don't get the pangram, you need 76% of the total points to reach genius. If you get the pangram, you only need 68% of the remaining points to reach genius.

Other days with this pangram:

The button below will reveal a chart with the number of words by each letter. Red bars indicate that there is a pangram(s) starting with that letter.


How does this puzzle compare to other puzzles?

Today's score of 225 was in the 73rd percentile of all puzzles.
The last time there was a score this high was on March 15, 2026.
The highest score ever was 537 on January 22, 2021.
The lowest score ever was 47 on March 27, 2023.

This puzzle's 38 possible answers rank it in the 46th percentile of all puzzles.
The last time there were fewer answers than this was on March 15, 2026.
The highest number of answers was 81 on June 08, 2019.
The lowest number of answers was 16 on March 27, 2023.

It takes an 8-letter word for genius.
The last time this happened was on March 12, 2026.

Today's puzzle has an average word length of 6.3.
For all Bees, the average word length has been 5.3.



Haven't I seen these letters before?

Hover over a letter to see its first and most recent appearance in the Bee!



Haven't I seen these words before?

The most common words in the Bee are:

  • noon 234
  • loll 216
  • toot 211
  • nana 192
  • naan 192
  • tilt 152
  • till 152
  • nene 152
  • lilt 152
  • tint 148
  • mamma 148
  • mama 148
  • toon 141
  • onto 141
  • onion 141
  • acai 140
  • acacia 140
  • anon 131
  • anal 130
  • olio 126
  • papa 124
  • dodo 123
  • baba 123
  • tact 122
  • lulu 122
  • lull 122
  • poop 119
  • booboo 118
  • boob 118
  • mitt 117
  • cocci 117
  • moon 116
  • mono 116
  • calla 115
  • call 115
  • loon 114
  • tartar 113
  • tart 113
  • ratatat 113
  • tutu 112
  • tattoo 112
  • attar 112
  • ally 111
  • allay 111
  • momma 110
  • ammo 110
  • tatty 109
  • meme 108
  • roar 107
  • peep 106


How long are words in the Bee?

There have been 115,021 answers ever accepted in the Bee - with 10,935 unique words.
Below are the distributions of the lengths of these words.



Valid dictionary words not in today's official answers

You may be wondering why these words aren't here*:

  • celling
  • cine
  • cline
  • engining
  • exigence
  • exine
  • exing
  • geeing
  • genic
  • genning
  • gieing
  • gien
  • gingeli
  • gingelli
  • gingili
  • gingilli
  • igging
  • ingle
  • leggin
  • licence
  • licencee
  • licencing
  • lignin
  • ling
  • linin
  • linn
  • neglige
  • nellie
  • nielli
  • nill
  • nilling
  • nixe
  • nixie
  • xenic

*Because the New York Times considers them obscure or offensive.

ceiling

verb
  1. To line or finish (a surface, such as a wall), with plaster, stucco, thin boards, or similar.
  2. To set a higher bound.
noun
  1. The overhead closure of a room.
  2. The upper limit of an object or action.
  3. The highest altitude at which an aircraft can safely maintain flight.
  4. The measurement of visible distance from ground or sea level to an overcast cloud cover; under a clear sky, the ceiling measurement is identified as "unlimited."
  5. The smallest integer greater than or equal to a given number.
  6. The inner planking of a vessel.

cling

Etymology 1

noun
  1. Fruit (especially peach) whose flesh adheres strongly to the pit.
  2. Adherence; attachment; devotion
verb
  1. To hold very tightly, as to not fall off.
  2. To adhere to an object, without being affixed, in such a way as to follow its contours. Used especially of fabrics and films.
  3. To cause to adhere to, especially by twining round or embracing.
  4. To cause to dry up or wither.
  5. To dry up or wither.
  6. (with preposition to) to be fond of, to feel strongly about and dependent on

Etymology 2

verb
  1. To produce a high-pitched ringing sound, like a small bell.

clinging

verb
  1. To hold very tightly, as to not fall off.
  2. To adhere to an object, without being affixed, in such a way as to follow its contours. Used especially of fabrics and films.
  3. To cause to adhere to, especially by twining round or embracing.
  4. To cause to dry up or wither.
  5. To dry up or wither.
  6. (with preposition to) to be fond of, to feel strongly about and dependent on
verb
  1. To produce a high-pitched ringing sound, like a small bell.
noun
  1. The act of one who clings.

clinic

noun
  1. A medical facility, such as a hospital, especially one for the treatment and diagnosis of outpatients.
  2. (by extension) A hospital session to diagnose or treat patients.
  3. A school, or a session of a school or class, in which medicine or surgery is taught by the examination and treatment of patients in the presence of the pupils.
  4. A group practice of several physicians.
  5. A meeting for the diagnosis of problems, or training, on a particular subject.
  6. A temporary office arranged on a regular basis to allow politicians to meet their constituents.
  7. A series of workouts used to build skills of practitioners regardless of team affiliation.
  8. One confined to bed by sickness.
  9. One who receives baptism on a sickbed.

egging

verb
  1. To throw eggs at.
  2. To dip in or coat with beaten egg.
  3. To distort a circular cross-section (as in a tube) to an elliptical or oval shape, either inadvertently or intentionally.
verb
  1. To encourage, incite.
noun
  1. The act of pelting with eggs.

engine

noun
  1. A large construction used in warfare, such as a battering ram, catapult etc.
  2. A tool; a utensil or implement.
  3. A complex mechanical device which converts energy into useful motion or physical effects.
  4. A person or group of people which influence a larger group; a driving force.
  5. The part of a car or other vehicle which provides the force for motion, now especially one powered by internal combustion.
  6. A self-powered vehicle, especially a locomotive, used for pulling cars along a track.
  7. A software or hardware system responsible for a specific technical task (usually with qualifying word).
  8. Ingenuity; cunning, trickery, guile.
  9. The result of cunning; something ingenious, a contrivance; (in negative senses) a plot, a scheme.
  10. Natural talent; genius.
  11. Anything used to effect a purpose; any device or contrivance; an agent.
verb
  1. To equip with an engine; said especially of steam vessels.
  2. To assault with an engine.
  3. To contrive; to put into action.
  4. To rack; to torture.

excellence

noun
  1. The quality of being excellent; brilliance
  2. Something in which one excels.
  3. An excellent or valuable quality; something at which any someone excels; a virtue.

excelling

verb
  1. To surpass someone or something; to be better or do better than someone or something.
  2. To be much better than others.
  3. To exceed, to go beyond

exiling

verb
  1. To send into exile.

gelling

verb
  1. To apply (cosmetic) gel to (the hair, etc).
  2. To become a gel.
  3. To develop a rapport.

gene

noun
  1. A theoretical unit of heredity of living organisms; a gene may take several values and in principle predetermines a precise trait of an organism's form (phenotype), such as hair color.
  2. A segment of DNA or RNA from a cell's or an organism's genome, that may take several forms and thus parameterizes a phenomenon, in general the structure of a protein; locus.

genie

noun
  1. A jinn, a being descended from the jann, normally invisible to the human eye, but who may also appear in animal or human form.
  2. A fictional magical being that is typically bound to obey the commands of a mortal possessing its container.

genii

Etymology 1

noun
  1. Someone possessing extraordinary intelligence or skill; especially somebody who has demonstrated this by a creative or original work in science, music, art etc.
  2. Extraordinary mental capacity.
  3. Inspiration, a mental leap, an extraordinary creative process.
  4. The tutelary deity or spirit of a place or person.

Etymology 2

noun
  1. A jinn, a being descended from the jann, normally invisible to the human eye, but who may also appear in animal or human form.
  2. A fictional magical being that is typically bound to obey the commands of a mortal possessing its container.

gigging

verb
  1. To fish or catch with a gig, or fish spear.
  2. To engage in musical performances.
  3. To make fun of; to make a joke at someone's expense, often condescending.
  4. To impose a demerit for an infraction of a dress or deportment code.
verb
  1. To engender.

giggling

verb
  1. To laugh gently or in a high-pitched voice; to laugh in a silly or giddy way.
noun
  1. The act of producing giggles; high-pitched laughter

gilling

verb
  1. To remove the gills from a fish as part of gutting and cleaning it
  2. To catch (a fish) in a gillnet
  3. To be or become entangled in a gillnet
verb
  1. To act as a prostitute.

ginning

verb
  1. To remove the seeds from cotton with a cotton gin.
  2. To trap something in a gin.
verb
  1. To begin.
noun
  1. The act of removing seeds from cotton with a cotton gin.

glen

noun
  1. A secluded and narrow valley, especially one with a river running through it; a dale; a depression between hills.

icing

Etymology 1

noun
  1. A sweet glaze made primarily of sugar and often flavored, typically used for baked goods; frosting.
  2. A minor violation of ice hockey rules, occurring when a player shoots the puck from his/her side of the red line so that it crosses the goal line on the opponent's side. A team playing short-handed is not penalized for this.
  3. The process of forming a layer of ice on a surface.

Etymology 2

verb
  1. To cool with ice, as a beverage.
  2. To become ice; to freeze.
  3. To make icy; to freeze.
  4. To murder.
  5. To cover with icing (frosting made of sugar and milk or white of egg); to frost; as cakes, tarts, etc.
  6. To put out a team for a match.
  7. To shoot the puck the length of the playing surface, causing a stoppage in play called icing.

incline

noun
  1. A slope.
verb
  1. To bend or move (something) out of a given plane or direction, often the horizontal or vertical.
  2. To slope.
  3. (chiefly in the passive) To tend to do or believe something, or move or be moved in a certain direction, away from a point of view, attitude, etc.

inclining

verb
  1. To bend or move (something) out of a given plane or direction, often the horizontal or vertical.
  2. To slope.
  3. (chiefly in the passive) To tend to do or believe something, or move or be moved in a certain direction, away from a point of view, attitude, etc.
noun
  1. Inclination

inning

Etymology 1

noun
  1. A period of play in which members of a visiting baseball team attempt to hit a baseball pitched by the opposing home team until three players are called out, followed by a similar attempt by members of the home baseball team against the visiting team's pitching. There are nine or more innings in a regulation baseball game.
  2. A similar period of play.
  3. A player (or team)'s turn at the table to make shots until ended by a miss or a foul.
  4. A chance or opportunity to perform some deed or act.
  5. The gathering of a crop; harvesting.
  6. Lands recovered from the sea.

Etymology 2

verb
  1. To house; to lodge.
  2. To take lodging; to lodge.

legging

verb
  1. To remove the legs from an animal carcass.
  2. To build legs onto a platform or stage for support.
  3. To put a series of three or more options strikes into the stock market.
  4. To apply force using the leg (as in 'to leg a horse').
noun
  1. A covering, usually of leather, worn from knee to ankle.
  2. Tight fitting leg coverings worn, for example, to gym.
  3. One of the legs of a pair of trousers.
  4. The process of putting a series of three or more options strikes into the stock market.

lenience

noun
  1. Leniency: mercy or forgiveness in the assignment of punishment.

lien

Etymology 1

noun
  1. A tendon.
  2. A right to take possession of a debtor’s property as security until a debt or duty is discharged.

Etymology 2

noun
  1. (possibly obsolete) The spleen.

line

Etymology 1

noun
  1. A path through two or more points (compare ‘segment’); a continuous mark, including as made by a pen; any path, curved or straight.
  2. A rope, cord, string, or thread, of any thickness.
  3. A hose or pipe, of any size.
  4. Direction, path.
  5. The wire connecting one telegraphic station with another, a telephone or internet cable between two points: a telephone or network connection.
  6. A clothesline.
  7. A letter, a written form of communication.
  8. A connected series of public conveyances, as a roadbed or railway track; and hence, an established arrangement for forwarding merchandise, etc.
  9. A trench or rampart, or the non-physical demarcation of the extent of the territory occupied by specified forces.
  10. The exterior limit of a figure or territory: a boundary, contour, or outline; a demarcation.
  11. A long tape or ribbon marked with units for measuring; a tape measure.
  12. A measuring line or cord.
  13. That which was measured by a line, such as a field or any piece of land set apart; hence, allotted place of abode.
  14. A threadlike crease or wrinkle marking the face, hand, or body; hence, a characteristic mark.
  15. Lineament; feature; figure (of one's body).
  16. A more-or-less straight sequence of people, objects, etc., either arranged as a queue or column and often waiting to be processed or dealt with, or arranged abreast of one another in a row (and contrasted with a column), as in a military formation.
  17. The regular infantry of an army, as distinguished from militia, guards, volunteer corps, cavalry, artillery etc.
  18. A series or succession of ancestors or descendants of a given person; a family or race; compare lineage.
  19. A small amount of text. Specifically:
  20. Course of conduct, thought, occupation, or policy; method of argument; department of industry, trade, or intellectual activity.
  21. The official, stated position (or set of positions) of an individual or group, particularly a political or religious faction.
  22. A set of products or services sold by a business, or by extension, the business itself.
  23. A number of shares taken by a jobber.
  24. A measure of length:
  25. A maxwell, a unit of magnetic flux.
  26. (1800s, with "the") The batter’s box.
  27. The position in which the fencers hold their swords.
  28. Proper relative position or adjustment (of parts, not as to design or proportion, but with reference to smooth working).
  29. A small path-shaped portion or serving of a powdery illegal drug, especially cocaine.
  30. Instruction; doctrine.
  31. Population of cells derived from a single cell and containing the same genetic makeup.
  32. (perfusion line) a set composed of a spike, a drip chamber, a clamp, a Y-injection site, a three-way stopcock and a catheter.
  33. A group of forwards that play together.
  34. A vascular catheter.
verb
  1. To place (objects) into a line (usually used with "up"); to form into a line; to align.
  2. To place persons or things along the side of for security or defense; to strengthen by adding; to fortify.
  3. To form a line along.
  4. To mark with a line or lines, to cover with lines.
  5. To represent by lines; to delineate; to portray.
  6. To read or repeat line by line.
  7. To hit a line drive; to hit a line drive which is caught for an out. Compare fly and ground.
  8. To track (wild bees) to their nest by following their line of flight.
  9. To measure.

Etymology 2

noun
  1. Flax; linen, particularly the longer fiber of flax.
verb
  1. To cover the inner surface of (something), originally especially with linen.
  2. To reinforce (the back of a book) with glue and glued scrap material such as fabric or paper.
  3. To fill or supply (something), as a purse with money.

Etymology 3

verb
  1. (of a dog) To copulate with, to impregnate.

linen

noun
  1. Thread or cloth made from flax fiber.
  2. Domestic textiles, such as tablecloths, bedding, towels, underclothes, etc., that are made of linen or linen-like fabrics of cotton or other fibers; linens.
  3. A light beige colour, like that of linen cloth undyed.
adjective
  1. Made from linen cloth or thread.
  2. Having the colour linen, light beige.

lining

verb
  1. To place (objects) into a line (usually used with "up"); to form into a line; to align.
  2. To place persons or things along the side of for security or defense; to strengthen by adding; to fortify.
  3. To form a line along.
  4. To mark with a line or lines, to cover with lines.
  5. To represent by lines; to delineate; to portray.
  6. To read or repeat line by line.
  7. To hit a line drive; to hit a line drive which is caught for an out. Compare fly and ground.
  8. To track (wild bees) to their nest by following their line of flight.
  9. To measure.
verb
  1. To cover the inner surface of (something), originally especially with linen.
  2. To reinforce (the back of a book) with glue and glued scrap material such as fabric or paper.
  3. To fill or supply (something), as a purse with money.
verb
  1. (of a dog) To copulate with, to impregnate.
noun
  1. A covering for the inside surface of something.
  2. The material used for such a covering.
  3. The act of attaching such a covering.

negligee

noun
  1. A woman's lightweight gown of the eighteenth century.
  2. A necklace of beads, pearls etc.
  3. A state of careless undress or very informal attire.
  4. A woman's loose-fitting nightgown, especially when short, lacy and/or revealing; a nightie.

negligence

noun
  1. The state of being negligent.
  2. The tort whereby a duty of reasonable care was breached, causing damage: any conduct short of intentional or reckless action that falls below the legal standard for preventing unreasonable injury.
  3. The breach of a duty of care: the failure to exercise a standard of care that a reasonable person would have in a similar situation.

nene

noun
  1. The Hawaiian goose, Branta sandvicensis, which was designated the state bird of Hawaii in 1957.

nice

Etymology 1

noun
  1. Niceness.
adjective
  1. Pleasant, satisfactory.
  2. Of a person: friendly, attractive.
  3. Respectable; virtuous.
  4. (with and) Shows that the given adjective is desirable, or acts as a mild intensifier; pleasantly, quite.
  5. Silly, ignorant; foolish.
  6. Particular in one's conduct; scrupulous, painstaking; choosy.
  7. Particular as regards rules or qualities; strict.
  8. Showing or requiring great precision or sensitive discernment; subtle.
  9. Easily injured; delicate; dainty.
  10. Doubtful, as to the outcome; risky.
adverb
  1. Nicely.
interjection
  1. Used to signify a job well done.
  2. Used to signify approval.

Etymology 2

verb
  1. To run a process with a specified (usually lower) priority.

niece

noun
  1. A daughter of one’s sibling, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law; either the daughter of one's brother ("fraternal niece"), or of one's sister ("sororal niece").

niggle

noun
  1. A minor complaint or problem.
  2. Small, cramped handwriting.
verb
  1. To trifle with; to deceive; to mock.
  2. To use, spend, or do in a petty or trifling manner.
  3. To dwell too much on minor points or on trifling details.
  4. To fidget, fiddle, be restless.

niggling

verb
  1. To trifle with; to deceive; to mock.
  2. To use, spend, or do in a petty or trifling manner.
  3. To dwell too much on minor points or on trifling details.
  4. To fidget, fiddle, be restless.
noun
  1. A sensation that niggles.
adjective
  1. Petty

nine

noun
  1. The digit or figure 9.
  2. A playing card with nine pips.
  3. A nine-millimeter semi-automatic pistol.
  4. (usually in the plural) A statistical unit of proportion (of reliability, purity, etc.).
  5. A baseball club, team, or lineup (composed of nine players).
numeral
  1. A numerical value equal to 9; the number following eight and preceding ten.
  2. Describing a group or set with nine elements.

nixing

verb
  1. To make something become nothing; to reject or cancel.
  2. To destroy or eradicate.

innie

noun
  1. A navel that is formed of a hollow in the abdomen (as opposed to one that protrudes from the abdomen).
  2. A vagina with inner labia minora