Saturday, May 23, 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: 307

Number of Answers: 61

Points Needed for Genius: 215

Genius requires between 32 and 50 words. You need at least a 7-letter word to reach genius. If you don't get the pangram, you need 73% of the total points to reach genius. If you get the pangram, you only need 69% 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 307 was in the 94th percentile of all puzzles.
The last time there was a score this high was on May 10, 2026.
The highest score ever was 537 on January 22, 2021.
The lowest score ever was 47 on March 27, 2023.

This puzzle's 61 possible answers rank it in the 92nd percentile of all puzzles.
The last time there were more answers than this was on May 19, 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 a 7-letter word for genius.
The last time this happened was on May 21, 2026.

Today's puzzle has an average word length of 5.6.
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 240
  • loll 221
  • toot 215
  • nana 200
  • naan 200
  • nene 158
  • tilt 156
  • till 156
  • lilt 156
  • mamma 152
  • mama 152
  • tint 149
  • onion 146
  • toon 145
  • onto 145
  • acai 143
  • acacia 143
  • anon 135
  • anal 134
  • olio 132
  • papa 127
  • tact 126
  • baba 126
  • lulu 125
  • lull 125
  • dodo 124
  • poop 120
  • booboo 120
  • boob 120
  • mitt 119
  • moon 118
  • mono 118
  • loon 118
  • cocci 118
  • calla 118
  • call 118
  • tattoo 116
  • tartar 116
  • tart 116
  • ratatat 116
  • attar 115
  • tutu 114
  • ally 113
  • allay 113
  • momma 111
  • aria 111
  • ammo 111
  • tatty 110
  • cancan 110
  • roar 109


How long are words in the Bee?

There have been 118,203 answers ever accepted in the Bee - with 10,991 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*:

  • accedence
  • accidence
  • accidia
  • accidie
  • acedia
  • acini
  • acinic
  • acned
  • aecia
  • aecidia
  • aedine
  • aiyee
  • ananda
  • anna
  • ayaya
  • ayin
  • caca
  • caddice
  • cade
  • cadenced
  • cadency
  • cadi
  • caeca
  • caid
  • cain
  • candida
  • cannie
  • cayenned
  • ceca
  • cicadae
  • cnida
  • cnidae
  • cyanic
  • cyanid
  • cyanided
  • cyanin
  • cyanine
  • cycad
  • dace
  • dada
  • dancey
  • deaned
  • decadency
  • decan
  • decane
  • decani
  • decennia
  • dedenda
  • diacid
  • diacidic
  • dyadic
  • encaenia
  • encina
  • enneadic
  • indican
  • inia
  • nance
  • nancy
  • nandin
  • nandina
  • nanna
  • nannie
  • nicad
  • yean
  • yeaned

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

acacia

Etymology 1

noun
  1. A shrub or tree of the tribe Acacieae.
  2. The thickened or dried juice of several species in Acacieae, in particular Vachellia nilotica (syn. Acacia nilotica), the Egyptian acacia.
  3. A false acacia; robinia tree, Robinia pseudoacacia.
  4. Gum arabic; gum acacia.
  5. Any of several related trees, such as the locust tree.
  6. A light to moderate greenish yellow with a hint of red.

Etymology 2

noun
  1. (history) A roll or bag, filled with dust, borne by Byzantine emperors, as a memento of mortality. It is represented on medals.

acai

noun
  1. Any of several South American palms, of the genus Euterpe, having a dark purple drupe.
  2. The fruit of these trees, harvested for its juice.

accede

verb
  1. To approach; to arrive, to come forward.
  2. To give one's adhesion; to join up with (a group, etc.); to become part of.
  3. To agree or assent to a proposal or a view; to give way.
  4. To come to an office, state or dignity; to attain, assume (a position).
  5. To become a party to an agreement or a treaty.

acceded

verb
  1. To approach; to arrive, to come forward.
  2. To give one's adhesion; to join up with (a group, etc.); to become part of.
  3. To agree or assent to a proposal or a view; to give way.
  4. To come to an office, state or dignity; to attain, assume (a position).
  5. To become a party to an agreement or a treaty.

aced

verb
  1. (US) To pass (a test, interviews etc.) perfectly.
  2. To win a point by an ace.
  3. To make an ace (hole in one).

acid

noun
  1. A sour substance.
  2. Any of several classes of compound having the following properties:
  3. Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD)
adjective
  1. Sour, sharp, or biting to the taste; tart; having the taste of vinegar.
  2. Sour-tempered.
  3. Of or pertaining to an acid; acidic.
  4. Denoting a musical genre that is a distortion (as if hallucinogenic) of an existing genre, as in acid house, acid jazz, acid rock.

acidic

adjective
  1. Having a pH less than 7, or being sour, or having the strength to neutralize alkalis, or turning a litmus paper red.
  2. Containing a high percentage of silica; opposed to basic.
  3. Of or relating to acid; having the character of an acid.

acidy

No Definition Found.

acne

noun
  1. A skin condition, usually of the face, that is common in adolescents. It is characterised by red pimples, and is caused by the inflammation of sebaceous glands through bacterial infection.
  2. A pattern of blemishes in an area of skin resulting from the skin condition.

added

verb
  1. To join or unite (e.g. one thing to another, or as several particulars) so as to increase the number, augment the quantity or enlarge the magnitude, or so as to form into one aggregate.
  2. To sum up; to put together mentally.
  3. To combine elements of (something) into one quantity.
  4. To give by way of increased possession (to someone); to bestow (on).
  5. To append (e,g, a statement); to say further information.
  6. To make an addition; to augment; to increase.
  7. To perform the arithmetical operation of addition.
  8. To summon minions or reinforcements.

addend

noun
  1. Any one of two or more numbers or other terms that are to be added together.
  2. A moiety added to another molecule.
verb
  1. To furnish with an addendum.
  2. To furnish with an addend.

addenda

noun
  1. Something to be added; especially text added as an appendix or supplement to a document.
  2. A postscript.
  3. The height by which the tooth of a gear projects beyond (outside for external, or inside for internal) the standard pitch circle or pitch line.

adenine

noun
  1. A base, C5H5N5, found in certain glands and tissues, which pairs with thymine in DNA and uracil in RNA.

aide

noun
  1. An assistant.
  2. An officer who acts as assistant to a more senior one; an aide-de-camp.

aided

verb
  1. To provide support to; to further the progress of; to help; to assist.
  2. To climb with the use of aids such as pitons.

caddie

Etymology 1

noun
  1. A golfer's assistant and adviser.
verb
  1. To serve as a golf caddie.
noun
  1. A Scottish errand boy, porter, or messenger.

Etymology 2

noun
  1. A small tray with a handle and compartments for holding items.
  2. A lightweight freestanding rack designed to hold accessories.
  3. A lightweight wheeled cart, often fitted with shelves or racks, or attached to a bicycle as a conveyance for a child.
  4. A tea caddy.

caddied

verb
  1. To serve as a golf caddie.
verb
  1. To serve as a caddy, carrying golf clubs etc.

caddy

Etymology 1

noun
  1. One hired to assist another in playing the game of golf.
verb
  1. To serve as a caddy, carrying golf clubs etc.

Etymology 2

noun
  1. A small box, can, or chest to keep things in.
  2. A movable tray or other mechanism for holding, securing, and transporting a removable component within a piece of machinery or equipment.

cadence

noun
  1. The act or state of declining or sinking.
  2. Balanced, rhythmic flow.
  3. The measure or beat of movement.
  4. The general inflection or modulation of the voice, or of any sound.
  5. A progression of at least two chords which conclude a piece of music, section or musical phrases within it. Sometimes referred to analogously as musical punctuation.
  6. A cadenza, or closing embellishment; a pause before the end of a strain, which the performer may fill with a flight of fancy.
  7. (speech) A fall in inflection of a speaker’s voice, such as at the end of a sentence.
  8. A dance move which ends a phrase.
  9. The rhythm and sequence of a series of actions.
  10. (running) The number of steps per minute.
  11. The number of revolutions per minute of the cranks or pedals of a bicycle.
  12. A chant that is sung by military personnel while running or marching; a jody call.
  13. Cadency
  14. (horse-riding) Harmony and proportion of movement, as in a well-managed horse.
verb
  1. To give a cadence to.
  2. To give structure to.

cancan

noun
  1. A high-kicking chorus line dance originating in France.
  2. (motocross) A trick where one leg is brought over the seat, so that both legs are on one side.
verb
  1. To dance the cancan.

candid

noun
  1. A spontaneous or unposed photograph.
adjective
  1. Impartial and free from prejudice.
  2. Straightforward, open and sincere.
  3. Not posed or rehearsed.

candidacy

noun
  1. The state of being a candidate.

candied

adjective
  1. Coated or encrusted with sugar
  2. Preserved in sugar or syrup by baking till it becomes translucent
  3. Pleasing, flattering.
verb
  1. To cook in, or coat with, sugar syrup.
  2. To have sugar crystals form in or on.
  3. To be formed into candy; to solidify in a candylike form or mass.

candy

Etymology 1

noun
  1. Edible, sweet-tasting confectionery containing sugar, or sometimes artificial sweeteners, and often flavored with fruit, chocolate, nuts, herbs and spices, or artificial flavors.
  2. A piece of confectionery of this kind.
  3. (slang, chiefly US) crack cocaine.
verb
  1. To cook in, or coat with, sugar syrup.
  2. To have sugar crystals form in or on.
  3. To be formed into candy; to solidify in a candylike form or mass.

Etymology 2

noun
  1. A unit of mass used in southern India, equal to twenty maunds, roughly equal to 500 pounds avoirdupois but varying locally.

cane

noun
  1. A plant with simple stems, like bamboo or sugar cane, or the stem thereof
  2. The stem of such a plant adapted for use as a tool
  3. A rod-shaped tool or device, somewhat like a cane
  4. Split rattan, as used in wickerwork, basketry and the like
  5. A local European measure of length; the canna.
verb
  1. To strike or beat with a cane or similar implement
  2. To destroy; to comprehensively defeat
  3. To do something well, in a competent fashion
  4. To produce extreme pain
  5. To make or furnish with cane or rattan.

caned

Etymology 1

verb
  1. To strike or beat with a cane or similar implement
  2. To destroy; to comprehensively defeat
  3. To do something well, in a competent fashion
  4. To produce extreme pain
  5. To make or furnish with cane or rattan.
adjective
  1. Intoxicated by alcohol or drugs

Etymology 2

adjective
  1. Filled with white flakes; mothery; said of vinegar when containing mother.

canid

noun
  1. Any member of the family Canidae, including dogs, wolves, foxes, coyotes and jackals.

canine

noun
  1. Any member of Caninae, the only living subfamily of Canidae.
  2. Any of certain extant canids regarded as similar to the dog or wolf (including coyotes, jackals, etc.) but distinguished from the vulpines, which are regarded as fox-like.
  3. In heterodont mammals, the pointy tooth between the incisors and the premolars; a cuspid.
  4. A king and a nine as a starting hand in Texas hold 'em due to phonetic similarity.
adjective
  1. Of, or pertaining to, a dog or dogs.
  2. Dog-like.
  3. Of or pertaining to mammalian teeth which are cuspids or fangs.
  4. Of an appetite: depraved or inordinate; used to describe eating disorders.

canna

Etymology 1

noun
  1. Any member of the genus Canna of tropical plants with large leaves and often showy flowers.

Etymology 2

noun
  1. A measure of length in Italy, varying from six to seven feet.

canned

verb
  1. To seal in a can.
  2. To preserve by heating and sealing in a jar or can.
  3. To discard, scrap or terminate (an idea, project, etc.).
  4. To shut up.
  5. To fire or dismiss an employee.
  6. To hole the ball.
adjective
  1. Preserved in cans.
  2. (by extension) Previously prepared; not fresh or new; standardized, mass produced, or lacking originality or customization.
  3. Drunk.
  4. Terminated, fired from a job.

canny

Etymology 1

adjective
  1. Careful, prudent, cautious.
  2. Knowing, shrewd, astute.
  3. Frugal, thrifty.
  4. Pleasant, fair, favorable or agreeable to deal with.
  5. Gentle, quiet, steady.
adverb
  1. Very, considerably; quite, rather.
  2. Gently, quietly; carefully, skilfully.

Etymology 2

adjective
  1. (especially of sound) Sounding as if it is coming through a tin can.

cayenne

noun
  1. Cayenne pepper.

cicada

noun
  1. Any of several insects in the superfamily Cicadoidea, with small eyes wide apart on the head and transparent well-veined wings.

cyan

noun
  1. A vibrant pale greenish-blue colour between blue and green in the visible spectrum; the complementary colour of red; the colour obtained by subtracting red from white light.
adjective
  1. Of the colour cyan.

cyanide

noun
  1. Any compound containing the -C≡N radical or the C≡N-1 anion.
  2. Potassium cyanide - a water soluble poison
  3. Hydrogen cyanide, or cyanide gas - a poisonous gas
verb
  1. To treat or poison with cyanide.

daddy

noun
  1. (usually childish) Father.
  2. A male lover.
  3. An informal term of address for a man.
  4. A male juvenile delinquent in a reformatory who dominates the other inmates through threats and violence.
verb
  1. To father; to sire.

dance

noun
  1. A sequence of rhythmic steps or movements usually performed to music, for pleasure or as a form of social interaction.
  2. A social gathering where dancing is the main activity.
  3. A normally horizontal stripe called a fess that has been modified to zig-zag across the center of a coat of arms from dexter to sinister.
  4. A genre of modern music characterised by sampled beats, repetitive rhythms and few lyrics.
  5. The art, profession, and study of dancing.
  6. A piece of music with a particular dance rhythm.
  7. A battle of wits, especially one commonly fought between two rivals.
verb
  1. To move with rhythmic steps or movements, especially in time to music.
  2. To leap or move lightly and rapidly.
  3. To perform the steps to.
  4. To cause to dance, or move nimbly or merrily about.
  5. To make love or have sex.

danced

verb
  1. To move with rhythmic steps or movements, especially in time to music.
  2. To leap or move lightly and rapidly.
  3. To perform the steps to.
  4. To cause to dance, or move nimbly or merrily about.
  5. To make love or have sex.

dandy

noun
  1. A man very concerned about his clothes and his appearance.
  2. A yawl, or a small after-sail on a yawl.
  3. A dandy roller.
adjective
  1. Like a dandy, foppish.
  2. Very good; better than expected but not as good as could be.
  3. Excellent; first-rate.

dead

noun
  1. (with "the", a demonstrative, or a possessive) Those who have died.
noun
  1. (often with "the") Time when coldness, darkness, or stillness is most intense.
noun
  1. (usually plural) Sterile mining waste, often present as many large rocks stacked inside the workings.
verb
  1. To prevent by disabling; stop.
  2. To make dead; to deaden; to deprive of life, force, or vigour.
  3. To kill.
adjective
  1. No longer living.
  2. Figuratively, not alive; lacking life.
  3. (of another person) So hated that they are absolutely ignored.
  4. Doomed; marked for death (literally or as a hyperbole).
  5. Without emotion.
  6. Stationary; static.
  7. Without interest to one of the senses; dull; flat.
  8. Unproductive.
  9. (of a machine, device, or electrical circuit) Completely inactive; currently without power; without a signal.
  10. (of a battery) Unable to emit power, being discharged (flat) or faulty.
  11. Broken or inoperable.
  12. No longer used or required.
  13. Not imparting motion or power by design.
  14. Not in play.
  15. (of a golf ball) Lying so near the hole that the player is certain to hole it in the next stroke.
  16. (1800s) Tagged out.
  17. Full and complete.
  18. Exact.
  19. Experiencing pins and needles (paresthesia).
  20. Constructed so as not to transmit sound; soundless.
  21. Bringing death; deadly.
  22. Cut off from the rights of a citizen; deprived of the power of enjoying the rights of property.
  23. (often with "to") Indifferent to, no longer subject to or ruled by (sin, guilt, pleasure, etc).
adverb
  1. (degree) Exactly.
  2. (degree) Very, absolutely, extremely.
  3. Suddenly and completely.
  4. As if dead.

deaden

verb
  1. To render less lively; to diminish; to muffle.
  2. To become less lively; to diminish (by itself).
  3. To make soundproof.

deadened

verb
  1. To render less lively; to diminish; to muffle.
  2. To become less lively; to diminish (by itself).
  3. To make soundproof.

deadeye

noun
  1. A wooden disk having holes through which the lanyard is passed, used for tightening shrouds.
  2. A very accurate marksman.
  3. A penchant for noticing a particular thing, or a person who has such a penchant.
adjective
  1. Very accurate in shooting or throwing.
  2. (concerning a stare) Cold; unfriendly.

dean

Etymology 1

noun
  1. A senior official in a college or university, who may be in charge of a division or faculty (for example, the dean of science) or have some other advisory or disciplinary function (for example, the dean of students).
  2. A dignitary or presiding officer in certain church bodies, especially an ecclesiastical dignitary, subordinate to a bishop, in charge of a chapter of canons.
  3. The senior member of some group of people.
verb
  1. To serve as a dean.
  2. To send (a student) to see the dean of a university.

Etymology 2

noun
  1. (chiefly in place names) A hill.

decade

noun
  1. A group, set, or series of ten , particularly:
  2. A set of resistors, capacitors, etc. connected so as to provide even increments between one and ten times a base electrical resistance.
  3. The interval between any two quantities having a ratio of 10 to 1.

decadence

noun
  1. A state of moral or artistic decline or deterioration; decay

decay

noun
  1. The process or result of being gradually decomposed.
  2. A deterioration of condition; loss of status or fortune.
verb
  1. To deteriorate, to get worse, to lose strength or health, to decline in quality.
  2. (of organic material) To rot, to go bad.
  3. (of an unstable atom) To change by undergoing fission, by emitting radiation, or by capturing or losing one or more electrons.
  4. (of a quantum system) To undergo optical decay, that is, to relax to a less excited state, usually by emitting a photon or phonon.
  5. Loss of airspeed due to drag.
  6. To cause to rot or deteriorate.

decayed

verb
  1. To deteriorate, to get worse, to lose strength or health, to decline in quality.
  2. (of organic material) To rot, to go bad.
  3. (of an unstable atom) To change by undergoing fission, by emitting radiation, or by capturing or losing one or more electrons.
  4. (of a quantum system) To undergo optical decay, that is, to relax to a less excited state, usually by emitting a photon or phonon.
  5. Loss of airspeed due to drag.
  6. To cause to rot or deteriorate.
adjective
  1. Having undergone decay, rotted.
  2. Reduced in circumstances; having lost one's status or fortune.

dyad

noun
  1. A set of two elements treated as one; a pair.
  2. Any set of two different pitch classes.
  3. A pair of things standing in particular relation; dyadic relation.
  4. An element, atom, or radical having a valence or combining power of two.
  5. A secondary unit of organisation consisting of an aggregate of monads.
  6. A tensor of order two and rank one.

ennead

noun
  1. The number nine.
  2. Any grouping or system containing nine objects.

idea

noun
  1. An abstract archetype of a given thing, compared to which real-life examples are seen as imperfect approximations; pure essence, as opposed to actual examples.
  2. The conception of someone or something as representing a perfect example; an ideal.
  3. The form or shape of something; a quintessential aspect or characteristic.
  4. An image of an object that is formed in the mind or recalled by the memory.
  5. More generally, any result of mental activity; a thought, a notion; a way of thinking.
  6. A conception in the mind of something to be done; a plan for doing something, an intention.
  7. A purposeful aim or goal; intent
  8. A vague or fanciful notion; a feeling or hunch; an impression.
  9. A musical theme or melodic subject.

inane

noun
  1. That which is void or empty.
adjective
  1. Lacking sense or meaning (often to the point of boredom or annoyance)
  2. Purposeless; pointless

indicia

noun
  1. A preprinted marking on a mailpiece which shows that postage has been paid by the sender.
noun
  1. An indication; a sign.

naan

noun
  1. A type of round, flat bread baked in a tandoor popular in South and Central Asian cuisine.

nada

pronoun
  1. Nothing.

naiad

noun
  1. A female deity (nymph) associated with water, especially a spring, stream, or other fresh water.
  2. The aquatic larva (nymph) of a dragonfly or damselfly.
  3. Any of various aquatic plants of the genus Najas.

nana

Etymology 1

noun
  1. A banana
  2. A fool

Etymology 2

noun
  1. (term of endearment) one's grandmother
  2. A nanny

nannied

verb
  1. To serve as a nanny.
  2. To treat like a nanny's charges; to coddle.

nanny

noun
  1. A child's nurse.
  2. A grandmother.
  3. A godmother.
  4. A female goat.
verb
  1. To serve as a nanny.
  2. To treat like a nanny's charges; to coddle.

niacin

noun
  1. A water-soluble vitamin, a component of vitamin B complex, found in meat, yeast, and dairy products; it is essential to metabolism.

indica

noun
  1. Any of the indica subspecies of the rice Oryza sativa, which (unlike the japonica or sinica subspecies) are non-sticky and long-grained.
  2. Marijuana of the species Cannabis indica.