Friday, September 20, 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: 1

Maximum Puzzle Score: 234

Number of Answers: 47

Points Needed for Genius: 164

Genius requires between 22 and 40 words. You need at least a 7-letter word to reach genius. If you don't get the pangram, you need 75% 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 234 was in the 79th percentile of all puzzles.
The last time there was a score this high was on September 19, 2024.
The highest score ever was 537 on January 22, 2021.
The lowest score ever was 47 on March 27, 2023.

This puzzle's 47 possible answers rank it in the 71st percentile of all puzzles.
The last time there were more answers than this was on September 19, 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 a 7-letter word for genius.
The last time this happened was on September 18, 2024.

Today's puzzle has an average word length of 5.7.
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 180
  • loll 172
  • toot 164
  • naan 160
  • nana 160
  • lilt 128
  • till 128
  • tilt 128
  • tint 122
  • mama 114
  • mamma 114
  • acacia 110
  • acai 110
  • nene 109
  • onto 107
  • toon 107
  • anal 106
  • boob 105
  • booboo 105
  • onion 105
  • anon 102
  • lull 101
  • lulu 101
  • olio 100
  • baba 99
  • papa 97
  • call 96
  • calla 96
  • dodo 96
  • mitt 96
  • poop 96
  • allay 94
  • ally 94
  • ratatat 94
  • tart 94
  • tartar 94
  • tatty 94
  • attar 93
  • cocci 93
  • tact 92
  • mono 90
  • moon 90
  • nanny 90
  • epee 89
  • loon 89
  • peep 89
  • radar 89
  • tattoo 89
  • tutu 89
  • array 87


How long are words in the Bee?

There have been 90,773 answers ever accepted in the Bee - with 10,252 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*:

  • cion
  • citrin
  • citrinin
  • coition
  • concoctor
  • coni
  • conin
  • conn
  • connor
  • conto
  • coon
  • cortin
  • croton
  • ficin
  • finfoot
  • fino
  • firn
  • foin
  • forint
  • fronton
  • inion
  • inro
  • inti
  • intinction
  • intort
  • introit
  • intron
  • intronic
  • nicotin
  • nicotinic
  • niff
  • ninon
  • niton
  • nonionic
  • noniron
  • nontonic
  • noritic
  • octoroon
  • ontic
  • orcin
  • ronin
  • ronion
  • tiffin

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

citron

noun
  1. A greenish yellow colour.
  2. A small citrus tree, Citrus medica.
  3. The fruit of a citron tree.
  4. The candied rind of the citron fruit.
adjective
  1. Of a greenish yellow colour.

cocoon

noun
  1. The silky protective case spun by the larvae of some insects in which they metamorphose, the pupa.
  2. Any similar protective case, whether real or metaphorical.
verb
  1. To envelop in a protective case
  2. To withdraw into such a case.

coffin

noun
  1. A rectangular closed box in which the body of a dead person is placed for burial.
  2. The eighth Lenormand card.
  3. A basket.
  4. A casing or crust, or a mold, of pastry, as for a pie.
  5. A conical paper bag, used by grocers.
  6. The hollow crust or hoof of a horse's foot, below the coronet, in which is the coffin bone.
  7. A storage container for nuclear waste.
verb
  1. To place in a coffin.

coin

noun
  1. (money) A piece of currency, usually metallic and in the shape of a disc, but sometimes polygonal, or with a hole in the middle.
  2. A token used in a special establishment like a casino.
  3. That which serves for payment or recompense.
  4. Money in general, not limited to coins.
  5. One of the suits of minor arcana in tarot, or a card of that suit.
  6. A corner or external angle.
  7. A small circular slice of food.
  8. A cryptocurrency.
verb
  1. To make of a definite fineness, and convert into coins, as a mass of metal.
  2. (by extension) To make or fabricate.
  3. To acquire rapidly, as money; to make.

concoct

verb
  1. To prepare something by mixing various ingredients, especially to prepare food for cooking.
  2. To contrive something using skill or ingenuity.
  3. To digest.

concoction

noun
  1. The preparing of a medicine, food or other substance out of many ingredients.
  2. A mixture prepared in such a way.
  3. Something made up, an invention.
  4. Digestion (of food etc.).
  5. The act of digesting in the mind; rumination.
  6. Abatement of a morbid process, such as fever, and return to a normal condition.
  7. The act of perfecting or maturing.

confit

noun
  1. Any of various kinds of food that have been immersed in a substance for both flavor and preservation.
verb
  1. To prepare (food) in this manner.

confront

verb
  1. To stand or meet facing, especially in competition, hostility or defiance; to come face to face with
  2. To deal with.
  3. To something bring face to face with.
  4. To come up against; to encounter.
  5. To engage in confrontation.
  6. To set a thing side by side with; to compare.
  7. To put a thing facing to; to set in contrast to.

conic

noun
  1. A conic section.
adjective
  1. Of or relating to a cone or cones.
  2. Shaped like a cone.
  3. Describing a map projection in which meridians are mapped to equally spaced lines radiating out from the apex and parallels of latitude are mapped to circular arcs centred on the apex.

contort

verb
  1. To twist in a violent manner.
  2. To twist into or as if into a strained shape or expression.

contortion

noun
  1. The act of contorting, twisting or deforming something, especially oneself.
  2. A form of acrobatic display which involves the dramatic bending and flexing of the human body.

contrition

noun
  1. The state of being contrite; sincere penitence or remorse.
  2. The act of grinding or rubbing to powder; attrition; friction; rubbing.

corn

Etymology 1

noun
  1. The main cereal plant grown for its grain in a given region, such as oats in parts of Scotland and Ireland, and wheat or barley in England and Wales.
  2. Maize, a grain crop of the species Zea mays.
  3. A grain or seed, especially of a cereal crop.
  4. A small, hard particle.
verb
  1. To granulate; to form a substance into grains
  2. To preserve using coarse salt, e.g. corned beef
  3. To provide with corn (typically maize; or, in Scotland, oats) for feed
  4. To render intoxicated

Etymology 2

noun
  1. A type of callus, usually on the feet or hands.

Etymology 3

noun
  1. Something (e.g. acting, humour, music, or writing) which is deemed old-fashioned or intended to induce emotion.

Etymology 4

noun
  1. A type of granular snow formed by repeated melting and re-freezing, often in mountain spring conditions.

cotton

Etymology 1

noun
  1. Gossypium, a genus of plant used as a source of cotton fiber.
  2. Any plant that encases its seed in a thin fiber that is harvested and used as a fabric or cloth.
  3. Any fiber similar in appearance and use to Gossypium fiber.
  4. The textile made from the fiber harvested from a cotton plant, especially Gossypium.
  5. An item of clothing made from cotton.
verb
  1. To provide with cotton.
  2. To make or become cotton-like
  3. To protect from harsh stimuli, coddle, or muffle.
  4. To rub or burnish with cotton.
adjective
  1. Made of cotton.

Etymology 2

verb
  1. To get on with someone or something; to have a good relationship with someone.

croon

noun
  1. A soft or sentimental hum or song.
verb
  1. To hum or sing softly or in a sentimental manner.
  2. To say softly or gently
  3. To soothe by singing softly.
  4. To make a continuous hollow moan, as cattle do when in pain.

fiction

noun
  1. Literary type using invented or imaginative writing, instead of real facts, usually written as prose.
  2. A verbal or written account that is not based on actual events (often intended to mislead).
  3. A legal fiction.

finito

adjective
  1. Finished; over with

font

Etymology 1

noun
  1. A receptacle in a church for holy water, especially one used in baptism.
  2. A receptacle for oil in a lamp.
  3. Spring, source, fountain.

Etymology 2

noun
  1. A set of glyphs of unified design, belonging to one typeface (e.g., Helvetica), style (e.g., italic), and weight (e.g., bold). Usually representing the letters of an alphabet and its supplementary characters.
  2. A computer file containing the code used to draw and compose the glyphs of one or more typographic fonts on a computer display or printer.
verb
  1. To overlay (text) on the picture.

Etymology 3

noun
  1. A source, wellspring, fount.

friction

noun
  1. The rubbing of one object or surface against another.
  2. A force that resists the relative motion or tendency to such motion of two bodies in contact.
  3. Massage of the body to restore circulation.
  4. Conflict, as between persons having dissimilar ideas or interests; clash.
  5. (Second Sino-Japanese War) Conflict, as between the Communists and non-Hanjian Kuomintang forces.

front

noun
  1. The foremost side of something or the end that faces the direction it normally moves.
  2. The side of a building with the main entrance.
  3. A field of activity.
  4. A person or institution acting as the public face of some other, covert group.
  5. The interface or transition zone between two airmasses of different density, often resulting in precipitation. Since the temperature distribution is the most important regulator of atmospheric density, a front almost invariably separates airmasses of different temperature.
  6. An area where armies are engaged in conflict, especially the line of contact.
  7. The lateral space occupied by an element measured from the extremity of one flank to the extremity of the other flank.
  8. The direction of the enemy.
  9. When a combat situation does not exist or is not assumed, the direction toward which the command is faced.
  10. A major military subdivision of the Soviet Army.
  11. Cheek; boldness; impudence.
  12. An act, show, façade, persona: an intentional and false impression of oneself.
  13. That which covers the foremost part of the head: a front piece of false hair worn by women.
  14. The most conspicuous part.
  15. The beginning.
  16. A seafront or coastal promenade.
  17. The forehead or brow, the part of the face above the eyes; sometimes, also, the whole face.
  18. (hotels) The bellhop whose turn it is to answer a client's call, which is often the word "front" used as an exclamation.
  19. (in the plural) A grill (jewellery worn on front teeth).
verb
  1. To face (on, to); to be pointed in a given direction.
  2. To face, be opposite to.
  3. To face up to, to meet head-on, to confront.
  4. To adorn the front of; to put on the front.
  5. To pronounce with the tongue in a front position.
  6. To move (a word or clause) to the start of a sentence.
  7. To act as a front (for); to cover (for).
  8. To lead or be the spokesperson of (a campaign, organisation etc.).
  9. To provide money or financial assistance in advance to.
  10. To assume false or disingenuous appearances.
  11. To deceive or attempt to deceive someone with false or disingenuous appearances (on).
  12. To appear before.
adjective
  1. Located at or near the front.
  2. Pronounced with the highest part of the body of the tongue toward the front of the mouth, near the hard palate (most often describing a vowel).

icon

noun
  1. An image, symbol, picture, or other representation usually as an object of religious devotion.
  2. (especially Eastern Christianity) A type of religious painting portraying a saint or scene from Scripture, often done on wooden panels.
  3. (by extension) A person or thing that is the best example of a certain profession or some doing.
  4. A small picture that represents something (such as an icon on a computer screen which when clicked performs some function.)
  5. A word, character, or sign whose form reflects and is determined by the referent; onomatopoeic words are necessarily all icons.

iconic

adjective
  1. Relating to, or having the characteristics of, an icon.
  2. Famously and distinctively representative of its type.
  3. Representing something; symbolic.

info

noun
  1. Information.

into

preposition
  1. To or towards the inside of.
  2. To or towards the region of.
  3. Against, especially with force or violence.
  4. Indicates transition into another form or substance.
  5. After the start of.
  6. Interested in or attracted to.
  7. Expressing the operation of multiplication.
  8. Expressing the operation of division, with the denominator given first. Usually with "goes".
  9. Investigating the subject (of).

intro

noun
  1. An introduction.
  2. The opening sequence at beginning of a film, television program, etc.
  3. A small demo produced to promote one's demogroup or for a competition.
verb
  1. To introduce.

ionic

adjective
  1. Of, relating to, or containing ions

iron

noun
  1. A common, inexpensive metal, silvery grey when untarnished, that rusts, is attracted by magnets, and is used in making steel.
  2. A metallic chemical element having atomic number 26 and symbol Fe.
  3. Any material, not a steel, predominantly made of elemental iron.
  4. A tool or appliance made of metal, which is heated and then used to transfer heat to something else; most often a thick piece of metal fitted with a handle and having a flat, roughly triangular bottom, which is heated and used to press wrinkles from clothing, and now usually containing an electrical heating apparatus.
  5. (usually plural, irons) Shackles.
  6. A firearm, either a long gun or a handgun.
  7. A dark shade of the colour/color silver.
  8. (shortened from iron hoof, rhyming with poof; countable) A male homosexual.
  9. A golf club used for middle-distance shots.
  10. Used as a symbol of great strength or toughness, or to signify a very strong or tough material.
  11. Weight used as resistance for the purpose of strength training.
  12. A safety curtain in a theatre.
  13. Dumb bombs, those without guidance systems.
verb
  1. To pass an iron over (clothing or some other item made of cloth) in order to remove creases.
  2. To shackle with irons; to fetter or handcuff.
  3. To furnish or arm with iron.
adjective
  1. Made of the metal iron.
  2. Strong (as of will), inflexible.

ironic

adjective
  1. Characterized by or constituting (any kind of) irony.
  2. Given to the use of irony; sarcastic.
  3. Contrary or opposite to what may be expected.
  4. Odd or coincidental; strange.

nitric

noun
  1. Nitric acid
adjective
  1. Of, pertaining to, or containing, nitrogen.

nitro

noun
  1. The univalent NO2 functional group.
  2. Nitroglycerin, especially as medication.
  3. A beer that is nitrogenated to give it a more creamy head.
  4. Nitromethane.
  5. Nitrogen, especially as liquid nitrogen.
adjective
  1. Containing the nitro group; such compounds tend to be unstable and often explosive

noir

noun
  1. Film noir.
  2. A production in the style of film noir.
adjective
  1. Of or pertaining to film noir, or the atmosphere associated with that genre

nonfiction

noun
  1. Written works intended to give facts, or true accounts of real things and events. Often used attributively.

noon

Etymology 1

noun
  1. The ninth hour of the day counted from sunrise; around three o'clock in the afternoon.
  2. Time of day when the sun is in its zenith; twelve o'clock in the day, midday.
  3. The corresponding time in the middle of the night; midnight.
  4. The highest point; culmination.
verb
  1. To relax or sleep around midday

Etymology 2

noun
  1. The letter ن in the Arabic script.

nori

Etymology 1

noun
  1. A type of seaweed, a red alga, laver (genus Pyropia, including species P. yezoensis and P. tenera).
  2. The seaweed, chopped and formed into sheets, used in the preparation of sushi.

Etymology 2

noun
  1. An improvised rail vehicle from Cambodia; a bamboo train.

notion

noun
  1. Mental apprehension of whatever may be known, thought, or imagined; idea, concept.
  2. A sentiment; an opinion.
  3. Sense; mind.
  4. An invention; an ingenious device; a knickknack.
  5. Any small article used in sewing and haberdashery, either for attachment to garments or as a tool, such as a button, zipper, or thimble.
  6. Inclination; intention; disposition.

onion

noun
  1. A monocotyledonous plant (Allium cepa), allied to garlic, used as vegetable and spice.
  2. The bulb of such a plant.
  3. The genus as a whole.
  4. A ball.
  5. A person from Bermuda or of Bermudian descent.

onto

adjective
  1. (of a function) Assuming each of the values in its codomain; having its range equal to its codomain.
preposition
  1. Upon; on top of.
  2. Aware of.
  3. Being an onto function with a codomain of (see below).

ricin

noun
  1. An extremely toxic protein extracted from the castor bean.

rotini

No Definition Found.

tinct

No Definition Found.

tint

noun
  1. A slight coloring.
  2. A pale or faint tinge of any color; especially, a variation of a color obtained by adding white (contrast shade)
  3. A color considered with reference to other very similar colors.
  4. A shaded effect in engraving, produced by the juxtaposition of many fine parallel lines.
verb
  1. To shade, to color.

tonic

Etymology 1

noun
  1. A substance with medicinal properties intended to restore or invigorate.
  2. Tonic water.
  3. (Massachusetts) Any of various carbonated, non-alcoholic beverages; soda pop.
  4. Someone or something that revitalises or reinvigorates.
adjective
  1. Pertaining to tension, especially of muscles.
  2. Restorative, curative or invigorating.

Etymology 2

noun
  1. The first note of a diatonic scale; the keynote.
  2. The triad built on the tonic note.
  3. A tonic element or letter; a vowel or a diphthong.
adjective
  1. Pertaining to or based upon the first note of a diatonic scale.
  2. Pertaining to the accent or stress in a word or in speech.
  3. Of or relating to tones or sounds; specifically being or relating to a speech sound made with tone unmixed and undimmed by obstruction, i.e. a vowel or diphthong.

toon

Etymology 1

noun
  1. A cartoon, especially an animated television show.
  2. A player's avatar or visible character in a massively multiplayer online role-playing game.

Etymology 2

noun
  1. A southeast Asian and Australian tree (Toona ciliata or Toona australis) of the mahogany family with fragrant dark red wood and flowers that yield a dye.
  2. The wood of this tree.

Etymology 3

noun
  1. A town.

Etymology 4

noun
  1. A melody.
  2. A song, or short musical composition.
  3. The act of tuning or maintenance.
  4. The state or condition of being correctly tuned.
  5. Temper; frame of mind.
  6. A sound; a note; a tone.
  7. Order; harmony; concord.

torn

verb
  1. To rend (a solid material) by holding or restraining in two places and pulling apart, whether intentionally or not; to destroy or separate.
  2. To injure as if by pulling apart.
  3. To destroy or reduce abstract unity or coherence, such as social, political or emotional.
  4. To make (an opening) with force or energy.
  5. (often with off or out) To remove by tearing.
  6. (of structures, with down) To demolish
  7. To become torn, especially accidentally.
  8. To move or act with great speed, energy, or violence.
  9. To smash or enter something with great force.

tortoni

No Definition Found.

tricorn

noun
  1. A three-sided hat with the brim turned up
  2. A three-horned fractal
adjective
  1. Having three horns or similar projections

triton

Etymology 1

noun
  1. The atomic nucleus of a tritium atom, consisting of a proton and two neutrons

Etymology 2

noun
  1. Any of several marine gastropods of the family Ranellidae, which have a pointed spiral shell.