Saturday, August 31, 2024

Answers to yesterday's Bee

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The official answers for today's puzzle are:

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Number of Pangrams: 5

Maximum Puzzle Score: 300

Number of Answers: 50

Points Needed for Genius: 210

Genius requires between 23 and 44 words. You need at least an 8-letter word to reach genius. If you don't get the pangrams, you need 94% of the total points to reach genius. If you get the pangrams, you only need 60% of the remaining points to reach genius.

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 300 was in the 94th percentile of all puzzles.
The last time there was a score this high was on July 29, 2024.
The highest score ever was 537 on January 22, 2021.
The lowest score ever was 47 on March 27, 2023.

This puzzle's 50 possible answers rank it in the 78th percentile of all puzzles.
The last time there were more answers than this was on August 28, 2024.
The highest number of answers was 81 on June 8, 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 August 27, 2024.

Today's puzzle has an average word length of 6.1.
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 179
  • loll 172
  • toot 164
  • naan 158
  • nana 158
  • lilt 128
  • till 128
  • tilt 128
  • tint 119
  • mama 114
  • mamma 114
  • acacia 110
  • acai 110
  • nene 109
  • onto 106
  • toon 106
  • anal 105
  • boob 103
  • booboo 103
  • onion 103
  • anon 101
  • lull 101
  • lulu 101
  • olio 100
  • baba 97
  • papa 97
  • call 96
  • calla 96
  • poop 96
  • dodo 95
  • mitt 95
  • allay 94
  • ally 94
  • tatty 94
  • ratatat 92
  • tart 92
  • tartar 92
  • attar 91
  • cocci 91
  • tact 91
  • mono 90
  • moon 90
  • nanny 90
  • loon 89
  • radar 89
  • tattoo 89
  • tutu 89
  • epee 88
  • peep 88
  • array 87


How long are words in the Bee?

There have been 89,911 answers ever accepted in the Bee - with 10,227 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*:

  • afrit
  • antifat
  • antigraft
  • faff
  • faffing
  • fagging
  • fagin
  • fain
  • fairing
  • fanga
  • fatting
  • fiar
  • figging
  • finnan
  • finning
  • firn
  • frig
  • frigging
  • frit
  • fritt
  • fritting
  • gaffing
  • graffiting
  • griff
  • infanta
  • infra
  • ingraft
  • ingrafting
  • naff
  • naffing
  • niff
  • niffing
  • raff
  • ratafia
  • taffia
  • tafia
  • tiffin
  • tiffing
  • tiffining

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

afar

adverb
  1. At, to, or from a great distance; far away.

affair

noun
  1. (often in the plural) Something which is done or is to be done; business of any kind, commercial, professional, or public.
  2. Any proceeding or action which it is wished to refer to or characterize vaguely.
  3. An action or engagement not of sufficient magnitude to be called a battle.
  4. A material object (vaguely designated).
  5. An adulterous relationship. (from affaire de cœur).
  6. A romantic relationship with someone who is not one's regular partner (boyfriend, girlfriend).
  7. A person with whom someone has an adulterous relationship.
  8. A party or social gathering, especially of a formal nature.
  9. The (male or female) genitals.

affiant

noun
  1. The individual witness whose statement is contained in an affidavit or sworn deposition.

faint

Etymology 1

noun
  1. The act of fainting, syncope.
  2. The state of one who has fainted; a swoon.
adjective
  1. (of a being) Lacking strength; weak; languid; inclined to lose consciousness
  2. Lacking courage, spirit, or energy; cowardly; dejected
  3. Barely perceptible; not bright, or loud, or sharp
  4. Performed, done, or acted, weakly; not exhibiting vigor, strength, or energy
  5. Slight; minimal.

Etymology 2

verb
  1. To lose consciousness through a lack of oxygen or nutrients to the brain, usually as a result of suddenly reduced blood flow (may be caused by emotional trauma, loss of blood or various medical conditions).
  2. To sink into dejection; to lose courage or spirit; to become depressed or despondent.
  3. To decay; to disappear; to vanish.

fainting

verb
  1. To lose consciousness through a lack of oxygen or nutrients to the brain, usually as a result of suddenly reduced blood flow (may be caused by emotional trauma, loss of blood or various medical conditions).
  2. To sink into dejection; to lose courage or spirit; to become depressed or despondent.
  3. To decay; to disappear; to vanish.
noun
  1. An act of collapsing into a state of temporary unconsciousness.

fair

Etymology 1

noun
  1. Something which is fair (in various senses of the adjective).
  2. A woman, a member of the ‘fair sex’; also as a collective singular, women.
  3. Fairness, beauty.
  4. A fair woman; a sweetheart.
  5. Good fortune; good luck.
verb
  1. To smoothen or even a surface (especially a connection or junction on a surface).
  2. To bring into perfect alignment (especially about rivet holes when connecting structural members).
  3. To construct or design a structure whose primary function is to produce a smooth outline or reduce air drag or water resistance.
  4. To make fair or beautiful.
adjective
  1. Beautiful, of a pleasing appearance, with a pure and fresh quality.
  2. Unblemished (figuratively or literally); clean and pure; innocent.
  3. Light in color, pale, particularly with regard to skin tone but also referring to blond hair.
  4. Just, equitable.
  5. Adequate, reasonable, or decent.
  6. (of a wind) Favorable to a ship's course.
  7. Not overcast; cloudless; clear; pleasant; propitious; said of the sky, weather, or wind, etc.
  8. Free from obstacles or hindrances; unobstructed; unencumbered; open; direct; said of a road, passage, etc.
  9. Without sudden change of direction or curvature; smooth; flowing; said of the figure of a vessel, and of surfaces, water lines, and other lines.
  10. Between the baselines.
  11. (of a catch) Taken direct from an opponent's foot, without the ball touching the ground or another player.
  12. (of a ball delivered by the bowler) Not a no-ball.
  13. Of a coin or die, having equal chance of landing on any side, unbiased.
adverb
  1. Clearly, openly, frankly, civilly, honestly, favorably, auspiciously, agreeably

Etymology 2

noun
  1. A community gathering to celebrate and exhibit local achievements.
  2. An event for public entertainment and trade, a market.
  3. An event for professionals in a trade to learn of new products and do business, a trade fair.
  4. A travelling amusement park (called a funfair in British English and a (travelling) carnival in US English).

fang

Etymology 1

noun
  1. A long, pointed canine tooth used for biting and tearing flesh
  2. (in snakes) a long pointed tooth for injecting venom
verb
  1. To strike or attack with the fangs.
  2. To enable to catch or tear; to furnish with fangs.

Etymology 2

verb
  1. To catch, capture; seize; grip; clutch; lay hold of.
  2. To take; receive with assent; accept.
  3. (as a guest) To receive with hospitality; welcome.
  4. (a thing given or imposed) To receive.
  5. To receive or adopt into spiritual relation, as in baptism; be godfather or godmother to.

Etymology 3

noun
  1. A grasping; capture; the act or power of seizing; hold.
  2. That which is seized or carried off; booty; spoils; stolen goods.
  3. Any projection, catch, shoot, or other thing by which hold is taken; a prehensile part or organ.
  4. A channel cut in the rock, or a pipe of wood, used for conveying air.
  5. (in the plural) Cage-shuts.
  6. The coil or bend of a rope; (by extension) a noose; a trap.
  7. The valve of a pump box.
verb
  1. To supply (a pump) with the water necessary for it to operate.

fanning

verb
  1. To blow air on (something) by means of a fan (hand-held, mechanical or electrical) or otherwise.
  2. To slap (a behind, especially).
  3. (usually to fan out) To move or spread in multiple directions from one point, in the shape of a hand-held fan.
  4. To dispel by waving a hand-held fan.
  5. To perform a maneuver that involves flicking the top rear of an old-style gun.
  6. (metaphoric) To invigorate, like flames when fanned.
  7. To winnow grain.
noun
  1. The act by which something is fanned.
  2. A very small fragment of tea leaf.

farina

noun
  1. A fine flour or meal made from cereal grains or from the starch or fecula of vegetables, extracted by various processes, and used in cookery.

faring

noun
  1. A structure on various parts of a vehicle, for example an aircraft, automobile, or motorcycle, that produces a smooth exterior and reduces drag
  2. A present; originally, one given or purchased at a fair.
  3. Something edible; fare.
verb
  1. To go, travel.
  2. To get along, succeed (well or badly); to be in any state, or pass through any experience, good or bad; to be attended with any circumstances or train of events.
  3. To eat, dine.
  4. To happen well, or ill.
  5. To move along; proceed; progress; advance
noun
  1. An adventure, trek, journey.

fart

noun
  1. An emission of digestive gases from the anus; a flatus.
  2. (impolite) An irritating person; a fool.
  3. (impolite, potentially offensive) (usually as "old fart") An elderly person; especially one perceived to hold old-fashioned views.
verb
  1. (impolite) To emit digestive gases from the anus; to flatulate.
  2. (usually as "fart around") To waste time with idle and inconsequential tasks; to go about one's activities in a lackadaisical manner; to be lazy or over-relaxed in one's manner or bearing.
  3. To emit (fumes, gases, etc.).

farting

verb
  1. (impolite) To emit digestive gases from the anus; to flatulate.
  2. (usually as "fart around") To waste time with idle and inconsequential tasks; to go about one's activities in a lackadaisical manner; to be lazy or over-relaxed in one's manner or bearing.
  3. To emit (fumes, gases, etc.).
noun
  1. The act of one who farts; a sound like a fart.

fating

verb
  1. To foreordain or predetermine, to make inevitable.

fiat

noun
  1. An arbitrary or authoritative command or order to do something; an effectual decree.
  2. Authorization, permission or (official) sanction.
  3. (English law) A warrant of a judge for certain processes.
  4. (English law) An authority for certain proceedings given by the Lord Chancellor's signature.
verb
  1. (used in academic debate and role-playing games) To make (something) happen.

fifing

verb
  1. To play this instrument.

fining

verb
  1. To make finer, purer, or cleaner; to purify or clarify.
  2. To become finer, purer, or cleaner.
  3. To make finer, or less coarse, as in bulk, texture, etc.
  4. To change by fine gradations.
  5. To clarify (wine and beer) by filtration.
  6. To become gradually fine; to diminish; to dwindle (with away, down, or off).
verb
  1. To issue a fine as punishment to (someone).
  2. To pay a fine.
verb
  1. To finish; to cease.
  2. To cause to cease; to stop.

firing

verb
  1. To set (something, often a building) on fire.
  2. To heat as with fire, but without setting on fire, as ceramic, metal objects, etc.
  3. To drive away by setting a fire.
  4. To terminate the employment contract of (an employee), especially for cause (such as misconduct or poor performance).
  5. To shoot (a gun or analogous device).
  6. To shoot a gun, cannon, or similar weapon.
  7. To shoot; to attempt to score a goal.
  8. To cause an action potential in a cell.
  9. To forcibly direct (something).
  10. (computer sciences, software engineering) To initiate an event (by means of an event handler).
  11. To inflame; to irritate, as the passions.
  12. To animate; to give life or spirit to.
  13. To feed or serve the fire of.
  14. To light up as if by fire; to illuminate.
  15. To cauterize.
  16. To catch fire; to be kindled.
  17. To be irritated or inflamed with passion.
noun
  1. The process of applying heat or fire, especially to clay etc to produce pottery.
  2. The fuel for a fire.
  3. The act of adding fuel to a fire.
  4. The discharge of a gun or other weapon.
  5. The dismissal of someone from a job.
  6. Cauterization.

fitting

verb
  1. To be suitable for.
  2. To conform to in size and shape.
  3. To be of the right size and shape
  4. (with to) To make conform in size and shape.
  5. To be in agreement with.
  6. To adjust.
  7. To attach, especially when requiring exact positioning or sizing.
  8. To equip or supply.
  9. To make ready.
  10. To be seemly.
  11. To be proper or becoming.
  12. To be in harmony.
verb
  1. To suffer a fit.
noun
  1. A small part, especially a standardized or detachable part of a device or machine.
  2. A tube connector; a standardized connecting part of a piping system to attach sections of pipe together, such as a coupling
  3. The act of trying on clothes to inspect or adjust the fit.
  4. The process of fitting up; especially of applying craft methods such as skilled filing to the making and assembling of machines or other products.
  5. (often plural) A removable item in a house or other building, which can be taken with one when one moves out, such as a moveable piece of furniture, a carpet, picture, etc.; US furnishing; compare fixture.
  6. The action or condition of having fits in the sense of seizures or convulsions.
adjective
  1. Ready, appropriate, suitable, or in keeping

frag

noun
  1. A fragmentation grenade.
  2. A successful kill in a deathmatch game.
verb
  1. To deliberately kill (one's superior officer) with a fragmentation grenade.
  2. To hit with the explosion of a fragmentation grenade.
  3. To kill.

fragging

verb
  1. To deliberately kill (one's superior officer) with a fragmentation grenade.
  2. To hit with the explosion of a fragmentation grenade.
  3. To kill.
noun
  1. The pre-meditated murder of one's superior officer in a military unit.

fragrant

adjective
  1. Sweet-smelling; having a pleasant (usually strong) scent or fragrance.

frat

noun
  1. Shortened form for fraternity, college organization. (Often used as a noun modifier.)

friar

noun
  1. A member of a mendicant Christian order such as the Augustinians, Carmelites (white friars), Franciscans (grey friars) or the Dominicans (black friars).
  2. A white or pale patch on a printed page.
  3. An American fish, the silverside.

fringing

verb
  1. To decorate with fringe.
  2. To serve as a fringe.
noun
  1. A fringe or border.
  2. The appearance of false colours in an image as the result of poor registration of component monochrome images.
  3. Any anomalous electric or magnetic effect at the edges of a region.
adjective
  1. That fringes.

frittata

noun
  1. A form of omelette in which vegetables, cheese etc are mixed into the eggs and cooked together.

gaff

Etymology 1

noun
  1. A tool consisting of a large metal hook with a handle or pole, especially the one used to pull large fish aboard a boat.
  2. A minor error or faux pas, a gaffe.
  3. A trick or con.
  4. The upper spar used to control a gaff-rigged sail.
  5. A garment worn to hide the genitals.
verb
  1. To use a gaff, especially to land a fish.
  2. To cheat or hoax.
  3. To gamble.
  4. To affix or cover with gaffer tape.
noun
  1. A sturdy adhesive tape, made of plastic reinforced with cross-linked fibre, often used by lighting electricians.

Etymology 2

noun
  1. Rough or harsh treatment; criticism.
  2. An outcry; nonsense.

Etymology 3

noun
  1. (especially Manchester and Cockney) A place of residence.

gift

noun
  1. Something given to another voluntarily, without charge.
  2. A talent or natural ability.
  3. Something gained incidentally, without effort.
  4. The act, right, or power of giving or bestowing.
verb
  1. To give as a gift or donation.
  2. To give away, to concede easily.

gifting

verb
  1. To give as a gift or donation.
  2. To give away, to concede easily.
noun
  1. A divine gift.

graffiti

noun
  1. Drawings or words drawn on a surface in a public place, usually made without authorization.
  2. Informal inscriptions, figure drawings, etc., as opposed to official inscriptions.
verb
  1. To mark a surface with such images.

graffitiing

verb
  1. To mark a surface with such images.

graft

Etymology 1

noun
  1. A small shoot or scion of a tree inserted in another tree, the stock of which is to support and nourish it. The two unite and become one tree, but the graft determines the kind of fruit.
  2. A branch or portion of a tree growing from such a shoot.
  3. A portion of living tissue used in the operation of autoplasty.
verb
  1. To insert (a graft) in a branch or stem of another tree; to propagate by insertion in another stock; also, to insert a graft upon.
  2. To insert scions (grafts) from one tree, or kind of tree, etc., into another; to practice grafting.
  3. To implant a portion of (living flesh or akin) in a lesion so as to form an organic union.
  4. To join (one thing) to another as if by grafting, so as to bring about a close union.
  5. To cover, as a ring bolt, block strap, splicing, etc., with a weaving of small cord or rope-yarns.
  6. To form a graft polymer

Etymology 2

noun
  1. A ditch, a canal.
  2. The depth of the blade of a digging tool such as a spade or shovel.
  3. A narrow spade used in digging drainage trenches.

Etymology 3

noun
  1. Corruption in official life.
  2. Illicit profit by corrupt means, especially in public life.
  3. A criminal’s special branch of practice.
  4. A con job.
  5. A cut of the take (money).
  6. A bribe, especially on an ongoing basis.
  7. Work; labor
  8. A job or trade.
  9. Effort needed for doing hard work.
verb
  1. To work.
  2. To obtain illegal gain from bribery or similar corrupt practices.

grafting

verb
  1. To insert (a graft) in a branch or stem of another tree; to propagate by insertion in another stock; also, to insert a graft upon.
  2. To insert scions (grafts) from one tree, or kind of tree, etc., into another; to practice grafting.
  3. To implant a portion of (living flesh or akin) in a lesion so as to form an organic union.
  4. To join (one thing) to another as if by grafting, so as to bring about a close union.
  5. To cover, as a ring bolt, block strap, splicing, etc., with a weaving of small cord or rope-yarns.
  6. To form a graft polymer
verb
  1. To work.
  2. To obtain illegal gain from bribery or similar corrupt practices.
noun
  1. The act, art, or process of inserting grafts.
  2. The act or method of weaving a cover for a ring, rope end, etc.
  3. The transplanting of a portion of flesh or skin to a denuded surface; autoplastic.
  4. A scarfing or endwise attachment of one timber to another.

griffin

noun
  1. A mythical beast having the body of a lion and the wings and head of an eagle.
  2. A large vulture (Gyps fulvus) found in the mountainous parts of Southern Europe, North Africa, and Asia Minor, supposed to be the "eagle" of the Bible.
  3. An English variety of apple.
  4. A person who has just arrived from Europe.
  5. A cadet newly arrived in British India: half English, half Indian.
  6. A watchful guardian, especially a duenna in charge of a young woman.

grift

noun
  1. A confidence game or swindle.
verb
  1. To obtain illegally, as by con game.
  2. To obtain money illegally.
  3. To obtain money immorally or through deceitful means.

grifting

verb
  1. To obtain illegally, as by con game.
  2. To obtain money illegally.
  3. To obtain money immorally or through deceitful means.

infant

noun
  1. A very young human being, from birth to somewhere between six months and two years of age, needing almost constant care and/or attention.
  2. A minor.
  3. A noble or aristocratic youth.
verb
  1. To bear or bring forth (a child); to produce, in general.

infringing

verb
  1. Break or violate a treaty, a law, a right etc.
  2. Break in or encroach on something.

naif

noun
  1. One who is naive.
adjective
  1. Naive.

raffia

noun
  1. A fibrous material used for tying plants, originating from the leaves of the raffia palm tree (genus Raphia).

raft

Etymology 1

noun
  1. A flat-bottomed craft able to float and drift on water, used for transport or as a waterborne platform.
  2. (by extension) Any flattish thing, usually wooden, used in a similar fashion.
  3. A thick crowd of seabirds or sea mammals, particularly a group of penguins when in the water.
  4. A collection of logs, fallen trees, etc. which obstructs navigation in a river.
  5. (when ordering food) A slice of toast.
  6. A square array of sensors forming part of a large telescope.
verb
  1. To convey on a raft.
  2. To make into a raft.
  3. To travel by raft.
  4. To dock (toolbars, etc.) so that they share horizontal or vertical space.

Etymology 2

noun
  1. A large (but unspecified) number, a lot.

rafting

verb
  1. To convey on a raft.
  2. To make into a raft.
  3. To travel by raft.
  4. To dock (toolbars, etc.) so that they share horizontal or vertical space.
noun
  1. The sport of guiding a raft while descending a river, especially through rapids known as white water rafting.

riff

Etymology 1

noun
  1. A repeated instrumental melody line in a song.
  2. A clever or witty remark.
  3. A variation on something.
  4. A spoof.
verb
  1. To improvise in the performance or practice of an art, especially by expanding on or making novel use of traditional themes.
  2. To riffle.

Etymology 2

noun
  1. The belly; the bowels.

riffing

verb
  1. To lay off from work due to a reduction in force.
verb
  1. To improvise in the performance or practice of an art, especially by expanding on or making novel use of traditional themes.
  2. To riffle.

riffraff

noun
  1. The rabble; crowds; the common people.
  2. Sweepings; refuse.

rift

Etymology 1

noun
  1. A chasm or fissure.
  2. A break in the clouds, fog, mist etc., which allows light through.
  3. A shallow place in a stream; a ford.
verb
  1. To form a rift; to split open.
  2. To cleave; to rive; to split.

Etymology 2

verb
  1. (obsolete outside Scotland and northern Britain) To belch.

rifting

verb
  1. To form a rift; to split open.
  2. To cleave; to rive; to split.
verb
  1. (obsolete outside Scotland and northern Britain) To belch.

tariff

noun
  1. A system of government-imposed duties levied on imported or exported goods; a list of such duties, or the duties themselves.
  2. A schedule of rates, fees or prices.
  3. A sentence determined according to a scale of standard penalties for certain categories of crime.
verb
  1. To levy a duty on (something)

tariffing

verb
  1. To levy a duty on (something)

tiff

Etymology 1

noun
  1. A small argument; a petty quarrel.
  2. Liquor; especially, a small draught of liquor.
verb
  1. To quarrel.

Etymology 2

verb
  1. To deck out; to dress.

Etymology 3

verb
  1. (British India) To have lunch.

antifa

proper noun
  1. A decentralised, radical political movement that opposes fascism.
  2. A local instance of this movement.
noun
  1. Opposition to fascism
noun
  1. A person opposed to the tenets of fascism.
adjective
  1. Opposed to the tenets of fascism; antifa.