Monday, January 13, 2025

Answers to yesterday's Bee

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The official answers for today's puzzle are:

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Number of Pangrams: 2

Maximum Puzzle Score: 132

Number of Answers: 28

Points Needed for Genius: 92

Genius requires between 12 and 25 words. You need at least a 7-letter word to reach genius. If you don't get the pangrams, you need 90% of the total points to reach genius. If you get the pangrams, you only need 61% 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 132 was in the 32nd percentile of all puzzles.
The last time there was a score this low was on January 11, 2025.
The highest score ever was 537 on January 22, 2021.
The lowest score ever was 47 on March 27, 2023.

This puzzle's 28 possible answers rank it in the 21st percentile of all puzzles.
The last time there were fewer answers than this was on January 2, 2025.
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 January 12, 2025.

Today's puzzle has an average word length of 5.3.
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 190
  • loll 181
  • toot 176
  • naan 167
  • nana 167
  • lilt 131
  • till 131
  • tilt 131
  • tint 129
  • mama 123
  • mamma 123
  • nene 122
  • acacia 115
  • acai 115
  • onto 115
  • toon 115
  • anal 110
  • onion 110
  • anon 107
  • boob 107
  • booboo 107
  • olio 104
  • baba 103
  • papa 103
  • lull 102
  • lulu 102
  • tact 102
  • dodo 101
  • mitt 101
  • poop 101
  • allay 99
  • ally 99
  • call 99
  • calla 99
  • ratatat 99
  • tart 99
  • tartar 99
  • attar 98
  • tattoo 98
  • tatty 97
  • tutu 97
  • cocci 96
  • mono 96
  • moon 96
  • ammo 95
  • momma 95
  • epee 94
  • peep 94
  • loon 91
  • nanny 91


How long are words in the Bee?

There have been 95,770 answers ever accepted in the Bee - with 10,406 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*:

  • abaca
  • abaka
  • abba
  • acock
  • acta
  • baboo
  • bacca
  • batata
  • batt
  • bota
  • cabob
  • caca
  • catboat
  • coact
  • cockboat
  • cotta
  • jato
  • jota
  • kabab
  • kabaka
  • kaka
  • kata
  • taka

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

aback

Etymology 1

adverb
  1. Towards the back or rear; backwards.
  2. In the rear; a distance behind.
  3. By surprise; startled; dumbfounded. (see usage)
  4. Backward against the mast; said of the sails when pressed by the wind from the "wrong" (forward) side, or of a ship when its sails are set that way.

Etymology 2

noun
  1. An abacus.

abbot

noun
  1. The superior or head of an abbey or monastery.
  2. The pastor and/or administrator of an order, including minor and major orders starting with the minor order of porter.
  3. A layman who received the abbey's revenues, after the closing of the monasteries.
  4. (British slang) A brothel-owner's husband or lover.
  5. (British slang) A ponce; a man employed by a prostitute to find clients, and who may also act as a bodyguard or equivalent to a bouncer.

attack

noun
  1. An attempt to cause damage, injury to, or death of opponent or enemy.
  2. An attempt to detract from the worth or credibility of, a person, position, idea, object, or thing, by physical, verbal, emotional, or other assault.
  3. A time in which one attacks; the offence of a battle.
  4. (by extension) The beginning of active operations on anything.
  5. An attempt to exploit a vulnerability in a computer system.
  6. Collectively, the bowlers of a cricket side.
  7. Any contact with the ball other than a serve or block which sends the ball across the plane of the net.
  8. The three attackmen on the field or all the attackmen of a team.
  9. The sudden onset of a disease or condition.
  10. An active episode of a chronic or recurrent disease.
  11. The onset of a musical note, particularly with respect to the strength (and duration) of that onset.
  12. (audio) The amount of time it takes for the volume of an audio signal to go from zero to maximum level (e.g. an audio waveform representing a snare drum hit would feature a very fast attack, whereas that of a wave washing to shore would feature a slow attack).
verb
  1. To apply violent force to someone or something.
  2. To aggressively challenge a person, idea, etc., with words (particularly in newspaper headlines, because it typesets into less space than "criticize" or similar).
  3. To begin to affect; to act upon injuriously or destructively; to begin to decompose or waste.
  4. To deal with something in a direct way; to set to work upon.
  5. To aim balls at the batsman’s wicket.
  6. To set a field, or bowl in a manner designed to get wickets.
  7. To bat aggressively, so as to score runs quickly.
  8. To move forward in an active attempt to score a point, as opposed to trying not to concede.
  9. To accelerate quickly in an attempt to get ahead of the other riders.

baba

noun
  1. A kind of sponge cake soaked in rum-flavoured syrup.
  2. (esp. among people of East European ancestry) A grandmother.
  3. An old woman, especially a traditional old woman from an eastern European culture.
  4. (esp. among people of Indian ancestry) A father.
  5. (Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism) A holy man, a spiritual leader.
  6. A baby, child.
  7. In baby talk, often used for a variety of words beginning with b, such as bottle or blanket.

babka

No Definition Found.

back

Etymology 1

noun
  1. The rear of the body, especially the part between the neck and the end of the spine and opposite the chest and belly.
  2. That which is farthest away from the front.
  3. Upper part of a natural object which is considered to resemble an animal's back.
  4. A support or resource in reserve.
  5. The keel and keelson of a ship.
  6. The roof of a horizontal underground passage.
  7. Effort, usually physical.
  8. A non-alcoholic drink (often water or a soft drink), to go with hard liquor or a cocktail.
  9. Among leather dealers, one of the thickest and stoutest tanned hides.
verb
  1. To go in the reverse direction.
  2. To support.
  3. (of the wind) To change direction contrary to the normal pattern; that is, to shift anticlockwise in the northern hemisphere, or clockwise in the southern hemisphere.
  4. (of a square sail) To brace the yards so that the wind presses on the front of the sail, to slow the ship.
  5. (of an anchor) To lay out a second, smaller anchor to provide additional holding power.
  6. (of a hunting dog) To stand still behind another dog which has pointed.
  7. To push or force backwards.
  8. To get upon the back of; to mount.
  9. To place or seat upon the back.
  10. To make a back for; to furnish with a back.
  11. To adjoin behind; to be at the back of.
  12. To write upon the back of, possibly as an endorsement.
  13. (of a justice of the peace) To sign or endorse (a warrant, issued in another county, to apprehend an offender).
  14. To row backward with (oars).
adjective
  1. Near the rear.
  2. Not current.
  3. Far from the main area.
  4. In arrear; overdue.
  5. Moving or operating backward.
  6. Pronounced with the highest part of the body of the tongue toward the back of the mouth, near the soft palate (most often describing a vowel).
adverb
  1. To or in a previous condition or place.
  2. Away from the front or from an edge.
  3. In a manner that impedes.
  4. In a reciprocal manner; in return.
  5. Earlier, ago.

Etymology 2

noun
  1. A large shallow vat; a cistern, tub, or trough, used by brewers, distillers, dyers, picklers, gluemakers, and others, for mixing or cooling wort, holding water, hot glue, etc.
  2. A ferryboat.

baobab

noun
  1. A tree, Adansonia digitata (and similar species), native to tropical Africa, having a broad swollen trunk and edible gourd-like hanging fruits.

boat

noun
  1. A craft used for transportation of goods, fishing, racing, recreational cruising, or military use on or in the water, propelled by oars or outboard motor or inboard motor or by wind.
  2. A full house.
  3. A vehicle, utensil, or dish somewhat resembling a boat in shape.
  4. One of two possible conformations of cyclohexane rings (the other being chair), shaped roughly like a boat.
  5. The refugee boats arriving in Australian waters, and by extension, refugees generally.
verb
  1. To travel by boat.
  2. To transport in a boat.
  3. To place in a boat.

bobcat

Etymology 1

noun
  1. A North American wild cat, Lynx rufus, having tufted ears and a short tail.

Etymology 2

noun
  1. A multi-purpose construction vehicle, akin to a smaller version of a front-end loader or a backhoe (backhoe loader), with a one-man caged control cabin

bootjack

noun
  1. A V-shaped, or forked, device for pulling off boots.
verb
  1. To steal

cacao

noun
  1. A tree, Theobroma cacao, whose seed is used to make chocolate.
  2. This tree's seed, the cocoa bean.

coat

noun
  1. An outer garment covering the upper torso and arms.Wp
  2. A covering of material, such as paint.Wp
  3. The fur or feathers covering an animal's skin.Wp
  4. Canvas painted with thick tar and secured round a mast or bowsprit to prevent water running down the sides into the hold (now made of rubber or leather).
  5. A petticoat.
  6. The habit or vesture of an order of men, indicating the order or office; cloth.
  7. A coat of arms.Wp
  8. A coat card.
verb
  1. To cover with a coating of some material.
  2. To cover like a coat.
  3. To clothe.

coca

Etymology 1

noun
  1. Any of the four cultivated plants which belong to the family Erythroxylaceae, native to western South America.
  2. The dried leaf of one of these plants, the South American shrub (Erythroxylum coca), widely cultivated in Andean countries, which is the source of cocaine.

Etymology 2

noun
  1. A pastry typically made and consumed in the Spanish Mediterranean coast.

cockatoo

noun
  1. A bird of the family Cacatuidae with a curved beak and a zygodactyl foot.
  2. A lookout posted during a two-up game, when gambling was illegal.

cocoa

Etymology 1

noun
  1. The dried and partially fermented fatty seeds of the cacao tree from which chocolate is made.
  2. An unsweetened brown powder made from roasted, ground cocoa beans, used in making chocolate, and in cooking.
  3. A hot drink made with milk, cocoa powder, and sugar.
  4. A serving of this drink.
  5. A light to medium brown colour.
adjective
  1. Of a light to medium brown colour, like that of cocoa powder.

Etymology 2

noun
  1. Coconut palm.
  2. Coconut, the fruit of the coconut palm.

jabot

noun
  1. A cascading or ornamental frill down the front of a blouse, shirt, etc.

jack

Etymology 1

noun
  1. A coarse mediaeval coat of defence, especially one made of leather.

Etymology 2

noun
  1. A man.
  2. A device or utensil.
  3. A non-tool object or thing.
  4. A plant or animal.
verb
  1. To raise using a jack.
  2. To raise or increase.
  3. To produce by freeze distillation; to distil (an alcoholic beverage) by freezing it and removing the ice (which is water), leaving the alcohol (which remains liquid).
  4. To steal something, typically an automobile. Shortened form of carjacking.
  5. To dance by moving the torso forward and backward in a rippling motion.
adjective
  1. Tired, disillusioned; fed up (with).

Etymology 3

noun
  1. The edible fruit of the Asian tree (Artocarpus heterophyllus); also the tree itself.

Etymology 4

noun
  1. A home run.
verb
  1. To hit (the ball) hard; especially, to hit (the ball) out of the field, producing a home run.

jackboot

noun
  1. A glossy leather calf-covering military boot, commonly associated with German soldiers of the WWII era
  2. The spirit that motivates a totalitarian or overly militaristic regime or policy
verb
  1. To stamp on with a jackboot.
  2. To march in jackboots.

jojoba

noun
  1. A shrub native to the southwestern United States and to Mexico, Simmondsia chinensis: the only plant known to store liquid wax in its seed.

kabob

noun
  1. A dish of pieces of meat, fish, or vegetables roasted on a skewer or spit, especially a doner kebab.
  2. A shish kebab or any other food on a skewer.
  3. The outward growing portions of a shish kebab structure.
  4. A Muslim, usually of southern European, Middle Eastern, or North African descent.
  5. The vulva.
verb
  1. To roast in the style of a kebab
  2. To stab or skewer

taboo

noun
  1. An inhibition or ban that results from social custom or emotional aversion.
  2. (in Polynesia) Something which may not be used, approached or mentioned because it is sacred.
verb
  1. To mark as taboo.
  2. To ban.
  3. To avoid.
adjective
  1. Excluded or forbidden from use, approach or mention.
  2. Culturally forbidden.

tack

Etymology 1

noun
  1. A small nail with a flat head.
  2. A thumbtack.
  3. A loose seam used to temporarily fasten pieces of cloth.
  4. The lower corner on the leading edge of a sail relative to the direction of the wind.
  5. A course or heading that enables a sailing vessel to head upwind. See also reach, gybe.
  6. A direction or course of action, especially a new one.
  7. The maneuver by which a sailing vessel turns its bow through the wind so that the wind changes from one side to the other.
  8. The distance a sailing vessel runs between these maneuvers when working to windward; a board.
  9. A rope used to hold in place the foremost lower corners of the courses when the vessel is close-hauled; also, a rope employed to pull the lower corner of a studding sail to the boom.
  10. Any of the various equipment and accessories worn by horses in the course of their use as domesticated animals. Saddles, stirrups, bridles, halters, reins, bits, harnesses, martingales, and breastplates are all forms of horse tack.
  11. The stickiness of a compound, related to its cohesive and adhesive properties.
  12. Food generally; fare, especially of the bread kind.
  13. That which is attached; a supplement; an appendix.
  14. A contract by which the use of a thing is set, or let, for hire; a lease.
  15. Confidence; reliance.

Etymology 2

verb
  1. To nail with a tack (small nail with a flat head).
  2. To sew/stich with a tack (loose seam used to temporarily fasten pieces of cloth).
  3. To maneuver a sailing vessel so that its bow turns through the wind, i.e. the wind changes from one side of the vessel to the other.
  4. To add something as an extra item.
  5. Often paired with "up", to place the tack on a horse.

Etymology 3

noun
  1. A stain; a tache.
  2. A peculiar flavour or taint.

Etymology 4

noun
  1. That which is tacky; something cheap and gaudy.

taco

noun
  1. A Mexican snack food; a small tortilla (soft or hard shelled), with typically some type of meat, rice, beans, cheese, diced vegetables (usually tomatoes and lettuce, as served in the United States, and cilantro, onion, and avocado, as served in México) and salsa.
  2. The vulva.
  3. A yellow stain on a shirt armpit caused by sweat or deodorant.
verb
  1. To fold or cause to buckle in half, similar to the way a taco is folded.

tact

noun
  1. The sense of touch; feeling.
  2. The stroke in beating time.
  3. Sensitive mental touch; special skill or faculty; keen perception or discernment; ready power of appreciating and doing what is required by circumstances; the ability to say the right thing.
  4. A verbal operant which is controlled by a nonverbal stimulus (such as an object, event, or property of an object) and is maintained by nonspecific social reinforcement (praise).
verb
  1. To use a tact (a kind of verbal operant; see noun sense).
noun
  1. A maneuver, or action calculated to achieve some end.
  2. A maneuver used against an enemy.
  3. A sequence of moves that limits the opponent's options and results in an immediate and tangible advantage, typically in the form of material.

tattoo

Etymology 1

noun
  1. An image made in the skin with ink and a needle.
  2. A method of decorating the skin by inserting colored substances under the surface with a sharp instrument (usually a solenoid-driven needle).
verb
  1. To apply a tattoo to (someone or something).
  2. To hit the ball hard, as if to figuratively leave a tattoo on the ball.

Etymology 2

noun
  1. A signal played five minutes before taps (lights out).
  2. A signal by drum or bugle ordering soldiers to return to their quarters.
  3. A military display or pageant.
verb
  1. To tap rhythmically on, to drum.

Etymology 3

noun
  1. A breed of pony from India; a pony of that breed.

tobacco

noun
  1. Any plant of the genus Nicotiana.
  2. Leaves of Nicotiana tabacum and some other species cultivated and harvested to make cigarettes, cigars, snuff, for smoking in pipes or for chewing.
  3. A variety of tobacco.
verb
  1. To indulge in tobacco; to smoke.
  2. To treat with tobacco.

toccata

noun
  1. A piece of music (usually for a keyboard instrument) designed to emphasise the dexterity of the performer.

boba

noun
  1. Short for boba tea.
noun
  1. A small edible ball made primarily from tapioca starch; used in bubble tea.