Thursday, October 24, 2024

Answers to yesterday's Bee

Jump to answers for


The official answers for today's puzzle are:

Click on the arrow to show the definition.
Click outside the pop-up to close it.



Number of Pangrams: 2

Maximum Puzzle Score: 232

Number of Answers: 43

Points Needed for Genius: 162

Genius requires between 21 and 36 words. You need at least a 7-letter word to reach genius. If you don't get the pangrams, you need 81% of the total points to reach genius. If you get the pangrams, you only need 65% 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 232 was in the 78th percentile of all puzzles.
The last time there was a score this high was on October 22, 2024.
The highest score ever was 537 on January 22, 2021.
The lowest score ever was 47 on March 27, 2023.

This puzzle's 43 possible answers rank it in the 62nd percentile of all puzzles.
The last time there were more answers than this was on October 22, 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 October 22, 2024.

Today's puzzle has an average word length of 5.9.
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 185
  • loll 177
  • toot 167
  • naan 162
  • nana 162
  • lilt 130
  • till 130
  • tilt 130
  • tint 123
  • mama 116
  • mamma 116
  • nene 113
  • acacia 111
  • acai 111
  • onto 111
  • toon 111
  • anal 107
  • onion 107
  • boob 106
  • booboo 106
  • anon 104
  • olio 103
  • lull 101
  • lulu 101
  • baba 99
  • papa 99
  • dodo 98
  • poop 98
  • call 96
  • calla 96
  • mitt 96
  • ratatat 96
  • tart 96
  • tartar 96
  • allay 95
  • ally 95
  • attar 95
  • cocci 95
  • tatty 95
  • mono 93
  • moon 93
  • tact 93
  • epee 91
  • loon 91
  • peep 91
  • tattoo 91
  • tutu 91
  • nanny 90
  • ammo 89
  • array 89


How long are words in the Bee?

There have been 92,239 answers ever accepted in the Bee - with 10,307 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*:

  • dido
  • dindling
  • dingdong
  • dingdonging
  • dinning
  • diol
  • diplopod
  • doggoning
  • donging
  • doodoo
  • godding
  • godling
  • indign
  • indigoid
  • indol
  • iodid
  • iodin
  • lidding
  • lido
  • lipoid
  • loid
  • loiding
  • nidi
  • niding
  • noddling
  • nodi
  • noodging
  • oidioid
  • pindling
  • podding
  • poind
  • poinding
  • ponding
  • pongid
  • pood

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

diddling

verb
  1. To cheat; to swindle.
  2. To have sex with.
  3. To masturbate (especially of women).
  4. To waste time.
  5. To totter, like a child learning to walk; to daddle.
  6. To manipulate a value at the level of individual bits (binary digits).

digging

verb
  1. To move hard-packed earth out of the way, especially downward to make a hole with a shovel. Or to drill, or the like, through rocks, roads, or the like. More generally, to make any similar hole by moving material out of the way.
  2. To get by digging; to take from the ground; often with up.
  3. To take ore from its bed, in distinction from making excavations in search of ore.
  4. To work like a digger; to study ploddingly and laboriously.
  5. To investigate, to research, often followed by out or up.
  6. To thrust; to poke.
  7. To defend against an attack hit by the opposing team by successfully passing the ball
verb
  1. To understand or show interest in.
  2. To appreciate, or like.
noun
  1. The action performed by a person or thing that digs.
  2. A place where ore is dug, especially certain localities in California, Australia, etc. where gold is obtained.
  3. Region; locality

dildo

Etymology 1

noun
  1. An artificial phallus (penis) for sexual use.
  2. An idiot, a bore.
  3. A columnar cactaceous plant of the West Indies (Pilosocereus royenii).
verb
  1. To penetrate with a dildo or with another object as if it were a dildo.

Etymology 2

interjection
  1. A burden: a phrase or theme that recurs at the end of a verse of a folk song.

dill

Etymology 1

noun
  1. Anethum graveolens (the type species of the genus Anethum), a herb, the seeds of which are moderately warming, pungent, and aromatic, formerly used as a soothing medicine for children; also known as dillseed.
  2. A cucumber pickled with dill flavoring
  3. A fool.
verb
  1. To cook or flavor with dill

Etymology 2

verb
  1. To still; to assuage; to calm; to soothe, as one in pain.

ding

Etymology 1

noun
  1. Very minor damage, a small dent or chip.
  2. A rejection.
verb
  1. To hit or strike.
  2. To dash; to throw violently.
  3. To inflict minor damage upon, especially by hitting or striking.
  4. To fire or reject.
  5. To deduct, as points, from another, in the manner of a penalty; to penalize.
  6. To mishit (a golf ball).

Etymology 2

noun
  1. The high-pitched resonant sound of a bell.
  2. The act of levelling up.
verb
  1. To make high-pitched sound like a bell.
  2. To keep repeating; impress by reiteration, with reference to the monotonous striking of a bell.
  3. To level up.

Etymology 3

noun
  1. An ancient Chinese vessel with legs and a lid.

dinging

verb
  1. To hit or strike.
  2. To dash; to throw violently.
  3. To inflict minor damage upon, especially by hitting or striking.
  4. To fire or reject.
  5. To deduct, as points, from another, in the manner of a penalty; to penalize.
  6. To mishit (a golf ball).
verb
  1. To make high-pitched sound like a bell.
  2. To keep repeating; impress by reiteration, with reference to the monotonous striking of a bell.
  3. To level up.

dingo

noun
  1. Canis lupus dingo, a wild dog native to Australia.

dining

verb
  1. To eat; to eat dinner or supper.
  2. To give a dinner to; to furnish with the chief meal; to feed.
  3. To dine upon; to have to eat.
noun
  1. Eating dinner as a social function.
  2. Entertaining someone to dinner.

dino

noun
  1. Dinosaur.

diploid

noun
  1. A cell which is diploid.
  2. An organism with diploid cells.
adjective
  1. Of a cell, having a pair of each type of chromosome, one of the pair being derived from the ovum and the other from the spermatozoon. Most somatic cells of higher organisms are diploid.
  2. Of an organism, having diploid cells.
  3. Of a certain symmetry class with 24 congruent irregular quadrilateral faces.

dipping

verb
  1. To lower into a liquid.
  2. To immerse oneself; to become plunged in a liquid; to sink.
  3. (of a value or rate) To decrease slightly.
  4. To lower a light's beam.
  5. To lower (a flag), particularly a national ensign, to a partially hoisted position in order to render or to return a salute. While lowered, the flag is said to be “at the dip.” A flag being carried on a staff may be dipped by leaning it forward at an approximate angle of 45 degrees.
  6. To treat cattle or sheep by immersion in chemical solution.
  7. To use a dip stick to check oil level in an engine.
  8. To consume snuff by placing a pinch behind the lip or under the tongue so that the active chemical constituents of the snuff may be absorbed into the system for their narcotic effect.
  9. To immerse for baptism.
  10. To wet, as if by immersing; to moisten.
  11. To plunge or engage thoroughly in any affair.
  12. To take out, by dipping a dipper, ladle, or other receptacle, into a fluid and removing a part; often with out.
  13. To perform the action of plunging a dipper, ladle. etc. into a liquid or soft substance and removing a part.
  14. To engage as a pledge; to mortgage.
  15. To perform (a bow or curtsey) by inclining the body.
  16. To incline downward from the plane of the horizon.
  17. To perform a dip dance move (often phrased with the leader as the subject noun and the follower as the subject noun being dipped)
  18. To lower the body by bending the knees while keeping the body in an upright position, as in movement to the rhythm of music.
  19. To leave.
  20. To miss out on seeing a sought after bird.
noun
  1. An act or process of immersing.
  2. The act of inclining downward.
  3. The act of lifting or moving a liquid with a dipper, ladle, or the like.
  4. The process of cleaning or brightening sheet metal or metalware, especially brass, by dipping it in acids, etc.
  5. The use of dipping tobacco (moist snuff) in the mouth, usually between the lip and gum or cheek and gum in the lower or upper part of the mouth.
  6. The act or fact of missing out on seeing a bird.

dodging

verb
  1. To avoid (something) by moving suddenly out of the way.
  2. To avoid; to sidestep.
  3. To go hither and thither.
  4. (videography) To decrease the exposure for certain areas of an image in order to make them darker (compare burn).
  5. To follow by dodging, or suddenly shifting from place to place.
  6. To trick somebody.
noun
  1. The act of dodging; a dodge.

dodo

Etymology 1

noun
  1. A large, flightless bird, †Raphus cucullatus, related to the pigeon, that is now extinct (since the 1600s) and was native to Mauritius.
  2. A person or organisation which is very old or has very old-fashioned views or is not willing to change and adapt.

Etymology 2

noun
  1. Fried plantain.

dogging

verb
  1. To pursue with the intent to catch.
  2. To follow in an annoying or harassing way.
  3. To fasten a hatch securely.
  4. To watch, or participate, in sexual activity in a public place.
  5. To intentionally restrict one's productivity as employee; to work at the slowest rate that goes unpunished.
  6. To criticize.
  7. To divide (a watch) with a comrade.
noun
  1. The act of one who dogs or harasses.
  2. The practice of having sexual intercourse in public places, especially parks, deliberately taking the chance of being watched.

doggo

noun
  1. A dog.

doing

Etymology 1

verb
  1. (auxiliary) A syntactic marker.
  2. To perform; to execute.
  3. To cause, make (someone) (do something).
  4. To suffice.
  5. To be reasonable or acceptable.
  6. (ditransitive) To have (as an effect).
  7. To fare, perform (well or poorly).
  8. (chiefly in questions) To have as one's job.
  9. To perform the tasks or actions associated with (something).
  10. To cook.
  11. To travel in, to tour, to make a circuit of.
  12. To treat in a certain way.
  13. To work for or on, by way of caring for, looking after, preparing, cleaning, keeping in order, etc.
  14. To act or behave in a certain manner; to conduct oneself.
  15. To spend (time) in jail. (See also do time)
  16. To impersonate or depict.
  17. (with 'a' and the name of a person, place, event, etc.) To copy or emulate the actions or behaviour that is associated with the person or thing mentioned.
  18. To kill.
  19. To deal with for good and all; to finish up; to undo; to ruin; to do for.
  20. To punish for a misdemeanor.
  21. To have sex with. (See also do it)
  22. To cheat or swindle.
  23. To convert into a certain form; especially, to translate.
  24. To finish.
  25. To work as a domestic servant (with for).
  26. (auxiliary) Used to form the present progressive of verbs.
  27. To cash or to advance money for, as a bill or note.
  28. (ditransitive) To make or provide.
  29. To injure (one's own body part).
  30. To take drugs.
  31. (in the form be doing [somewhere]) To exist with a purpose or for a reason.
noun
  1. A deed or action, especially when somebody is held responsible for it.

Etymology 2

interjection
  1. The sound made by an elastic object when struck by or striking a hard object.

doling

verb
  1. To distribute in small amounts; to share out small portions of a meager resource.
noun
  1. The act of one who doles.

doll

noun
  1. A toy in the form of a human.
  2. (sometimes offensive) An attractive young woman
  3. A term of endearment: darling, sweetheart.
  4. A dollar.
  5. (now possibly offensive) A good-natured, cooperative or helpful girl.
  6. The smallest or pet pig in a litter.

dolling

No Definition Found.

dollop

noun
  1. A considerable lump, scoop, or quantity of something, especially soft food.
verb
  1. To apply haphazardly in generous lumps or scoops.
  2. To dole out in a considerable quantity; to drip in a viscous form.

dolloping

verb
  1. To apply haphazardly in generous lumps or scoops.
  2. To dole out in a considerable quantity; to drip in a viscous form.

dong

Etymology 1

noun
  1. The currency of Vietnam, 100 xus. Symbol: ₫

Etymology 2

noun
  1. A penis.
  2. (by extension) A dildo, specifically a synthetic anatomical replica of the penis.

Etymology 3

noun
  1. Onomatopoeia for the ringing sound made by a bell with a low pitch.
verb
  1. Of a bell: to make a low-pitched ringing sound.

Etymology 4

noun
  1. A submunicipal administrative unit of a city in North or South Korea.

donning

verb
  1. (clothing) To put on, to dress in.

doodling

verb
  1. To draw or scribble aimlessly.
  2. To drone like a bagpipe.
noun
  1. Something doodled; a careless sketch.

doping

verb
  1. To affect with drugs.
  2. To treat with dope (lubricant, etc.).
  3. To add a dopant such as arsenic to (a pure semiconductor such as silicon).
  4. To use drugs; especially, to use prohibited performance-enhancing drugs in sporting competitions.
  5. To judge or guess; to predict the result of.
noun
  1. The use of drugs to improve athletic performance.
  2. The addition of small quantities of an element (a dopant) to a semiconductor to change its characteristics.

gild

Etymology 1

verb
  1. To cover with a thin layer of gold; to cover with gold leaf.
  2. To adorn.
  3. To decorate with a golden surface appearance.
  4. To give a bright or pleasing aspect to.
  5. To make appear drunk.

Etymology 2

noun
  1. A group or association mainly of tradespeople made up of merchants, craftspeople, or artisans for mutual aid, particularly in the Middle Ages.
  2. A corporation.
  3. A group of diverse species that share common characteristics or habits.
  4. An organized group of players who regularly play together in a multiplayer game.

gilding

verb
  1. To cover with a thin layer of gold; to cover with gold leaf.
  2. To adorn.
  3. To decorate with a golden surface appearance.
  4. To give a bright or pleasing aspect to.
  5. To make appear drunk.
noun
  1. The art of applying gold leaf to a surface.
  2. Gold leaf.
  3. A coating of gold or gold-coloured paint, etc.

gliding

verb
  1. To move softly, smoothly, or effortlessly.
  2. To fly unpowered, as of an aircraft. Also relates to gliding birds and flying fish.
  3. To cause to glide.
  4. To pass with a glide, as the voice.
noun
  1. The action or motion of something that glides.
  2. The hobby, sport or act of flying a glider.
adjective
  1. That moves or changes with a glide.
  2. (employment) Employing flexitime.

gold

Etymology 1

noun
  1. A heavy yellow elemental metal of great value, with atomic number 79 and symbol Au.
  2. A coin or coinage made of this material, or supposedly so.
  3. A deep yellow colour, resembling the metal gold.
  4. The bullseye of an archery target.
  5. A gold medal.
  6. Anything or anyone that is very valuable.
  7. (in the plural) A grill (jewellery worn on front teeth) made of gold.
verb
  1. To pyrolyze or burn food until the color begins to change to a light brown, but not as dark as browning
adjective
  1. Made of gold.
  2. Having the colour of gold.
  3. (of commercial services) Premium, superior.

Etymology 2

adjective
  1. (of software) In a finished state, ready for manufacturing.
adverb
  1. Of or referring to a gold version of something

good

Etymology 1

adjective
  1. (of people)
  2. (of capabilities)
  3. (properties and qualities)
  4. (when with and) Very, extremely. See good and.
  5. Holy (especially when capitalized) .
  6. (of quantities)
interjection
  1. That is good; an elliptical exclamation of satisfaction or commendation.

Etymology 2

adverb
  1. Well; satisfactorily or thoroughly.

Etymology 3

noun
  1. The forces or behaviours that are the enemy of evil. Usually consists of helping others and general benevolence.
  2. A result that is positive in the view of the speaker.
  3. The abstract instantiation of goodness; that which possesses desirable qualities, promotes success, welfare, or happiness, is serviceable, fit, excellent, kind, benevolent, etc.
  4. (usually in the plural) An item of merchandise.

Etymology 4

verb
  1. To thrive; fatten; prosper; improve.
  2. To make good; turn to good; improve.
  3. To make improvements or repairs.
  4. To benefit; gain.
  5. To do good to (someone); benefit; cause to improve or gain.
  6. To satisfy; indulge; gratify.
  7. To flatter; congratulate oneself; anticipate.

Etymology 5

verb
  1. To furnish with dung; manure; fatten with manure; fertilise.

idling

verb
  1. To spend in idleness; to waste; to consume.
  2. To lose or spend time doing nothing, or without being employed in business.
  3. Of an engine: to run at a slow speed, or out of gear; to tick over.
noun
  1. An idle period; something done idly.

idol

noun
  1. A graven image or representation of anything that is revered, or believed to convey spiritual power.
  2. A cultural icon, or especially popular person.
  3. (originally Japan) Popular entertainer; usually young, captivating, attractive; and often female, with an image of being close to fans.
  4. An eidolon or phantom; something misleading or elusive.

indigo

noun
  1. A purplish-blue colour
  2. An indigo-colored dye obtained from certain plants (the indigo plant or woad), or a similar synthetic dye.
  3. An indigo plant, such as from species in genera Indigofera, Amorpha (false indigo), Baptisia (wild indigo), and Psorothamnus and Dalea (indigo bush).
adjective
  1. Having a deep purplish-blue colour

lipid

noun
  1. Any of a group of organic compounds including the fats, oils, waxes, sterols, and triglycerides. Lipids are characterized by being insoluble in water, and account for most of the fat present in the human body.

lodging

verb
  1. To be firmly fixed in a specified position.
  2. To stay in a boarding-house, paying rent to the resident landlord or landlady.
  3. To stay in any place or shelter.
  4. To drive (an animal) to covert.
  5. To supply with a room or place to sleep in for a time.
  6. To put money, jewellery, or other valuables for safety.
  7. To place (a statement, etc.) with the proper authorities (such as courts, etc.).
  8. To become flattened, as grass or grain, when overgrown or beaten down by the wind.
  9. To cause to flatten, as grass or grain.
noun
  1. A place to live or lodge.
  2. Sleeping accommodation.
  3. (in the plural) Furnished rooms in a house rented as accommodation.
  4. The condition of a plant, especially a cereal, that has been flattened in the field or damaged so that it cannot stand upright, as by weather conditions or because the stem is not strong enough to support the plant.

nodding

verb
  1. To incline the head up and down, as to indicate agreement.
  2. To briefly incline the head downwards as a cursory greeting.
  3. To sway, move up and down.
  4. To gradually fall asleep.
  5. To signify by a nod.
  6. To make a mistake by being temporarily inattentive or tired
  7. To head; to strike the ball with one's head.
  8. To allude to something.
  9. To fall asleep while under the influence of opiates.
noun
  1. The act by which one nods.
adjective
  1. Having the flower facing downwards.

noodling

verb
  1. To think or ponder.
  2. To fiddle, play with, or mess around.
  3. To improvise music.
  4. To fish (usually for very large catfish) without any equipment other than the fisherman's own body
  5. To fossick, especially for opals.
noun
  1. The practice and sport of fishing for catfish using the bare hands.
  2. Musical improvisation.

opioid

noun
  1. A substance that has effects similar to opium.
  2. Any of the natural substances, such as an endorphin, released in the body in response to pain.
  3. Any of a group of synthetic compounds that exhibit similarities to the opium alkaloids that occur in nature.

piddling

verb
  1. To eat with small, quick bites.
  2. To bite lightly.
  3. To consume gradually.
  4. To find fault; to cavil.
verb
  1. To strike or pierce with the beak or bill (of a bird).
  2. To form by striking with the beak or a pointed instrument.
  3. To strike, pick, thrust against, or dig into, with a pointed instrument, especially with repeated quick movements.
  4. To seize and pick up with the beak, or as if with the beak; to bite; to eat; often with up.
  5. To do something in small, intermittent pieces.
  6. To type by searching for each key individually.
  7. To type in general.
  8. To kiss briefly.
verb
  1. To throw.
  2. To lurch forward; especially, of a horse, to stumble after hitting the ground with the toe instead of the flat of the foot.
verb
  1. Often followed by about or around: to act or work ineffectually and wastefully.
  2. (Namibia) To urinate.
adjective
  1. Insignificant, negligible, paltry, trivial, useless.

pidgin

noun
  1. An amalgamation of two disparate languages, used by two populations having no common language as a lingua franca to communicate with each other, lacking formalized grammar and having a small, utilitarian vocabulary and no native speakers.
  2. A person's business, occupation, work, or trade.

plod

Etymology 1

noun
  1. A slow or labored walk or other motion or activity.
verb
  1. To walk or move slowly and heavily or laboriously (+ on, through, over).
  2. To trudge over or through.
  3. To toil; to drudge; especially, to study laboriously and patiently.

Etymology 2

noun
  1. A puddle.

Etymology 3

noun
  1. (mildly, usually with "the") the police, police officers
  2. (mildly) a police officer, especially a low-ranking one.

plodding

verb
  1. To walk or move slowly and heavily or laboriously (+ on, through, over).
  2. To trudge over or through.
  3. To toil; to drudge; especially, to study laboriously and patiently.
noun
  1. Slow, laborious progress.
adjective
  1. Progressing slowly and laboriously.

pond

Etymology 1

noun
  1. An inland body of standing water, either natural or man-made, that is smaller than a lake.
  2. An inland body of standing water of any size that is fed by springs rather than by a river.
  3. The Atlantic Ocean. Especially in across the pond.
verb
  1. To block the flow of water so that it can escape only through evaporation or seepage; to dam.
  2. To make into a pond; to collect, as water, in a pond by damming.
  3. To form a pond; to pool.

Etymology 2

verb
  1. To ponder.