Saturday, May 24, 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: 1

Maximum Puzzle Score: 273

Number of Answers: 46

Points Needed for Genius: 191

Genius requires between 26 and 37 words. You need at least a 7-letter word to reach genius. If you don't get the pangram, you need 74% 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 273 was in the 89th percentile of all puzzles.
The last time there was a score this high was on May 23, 2025.
The highest score ever was 537 on January 22, 2021.
The lowest score ever was 47 on March 27, 2023.

This puzzle's 46 possible answers rank it in the 67th percentile of all puzzles.
The last time there were more answers than this was on May 23, 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 May 22, 2025.

Today's puzzle has an average word length of 6.2.
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 199
  • loll 195
  • toot 187
  • naan 171
  • nana 171
  • lilt 139
  • till 139
  • tilt 139
  • tint 136
  • nene 132
  • mama 130
  • mamma 130
  • acacia 123
  • acai 123
  • onto 123
  • toon 123
  • onion 119
  • anal 116
  • olio 115
  • anon 112
  • boob 112
  • booboo 112
  • baba 108
  • dodo 108
  • papa 108
  • tact 108
  • poop 107
  • lull 105
  • lulu 105
  • call 104
  • calla 104
  • ratatat 104
  • tart 104
  • tartar 104
  • attar 103
  • mitt 103
  • mono 103
  • moon 103
  • tatty 103
  • allay 101
  • ally 101
  • tattoo 101
  • tutu 101
  • ammo 100
  • momma 100
  • cocci 99
  • epee 99
  • peep 99
  • loon 97
  • loot 95


How long are words in the Bee?

There have been 101,632 answers ever accepted in the Bee - with 10,596 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*:

  • engining
  • epigene
  • exine
  • exing
  • geeing
  • genip
  • genning
  • genu
  • gieing
  • gien
  • gipping
  • guinep
  • gunge
  • gunging
  • gunnen
  • igging
  • neep
  • nixe
  • nixie
  • peening
  • pein
  • peining
  • penni
  • pennine
  • pieing
  • piggin
  • piing
  • pinene
  • pipping
  • pugging
  • pung
  • pupping
  • ungenuine

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

egging

verb
  1. To throw eggs at.
  2. To dip in or coat with beaten egg.
  3. To distort a circular cross-section (as in a tube) to an elliptical or oval shape, either inadvertently or intentionally.
verb
  1. To encourage, incite.
noun
  1. The act of pelting with eggs.

engine

noun
  1. A large construction used in warfare, such as a battering ram, catapult etc.
  2. A tool; a utensil or implement.
  3. A complex mechanical device which converts energy into useful motion or physical effects.
  4. A person or group of people which influence a larger group; a driving force.
  5. The part of a car or other vehicle which provides the force for motion, now especially one powered by internal combustion.
  6. A self-powered vehicle, especially a locomotive, used for pulling cars along a track.
  7. A software or hardware system responsible for a specific technical task (usually with qualifying word).
  8. Ingenuity; cunning, trickery, guile.
  9. The result of cunning; something ingenious, a contrivance; (in negative senses) a plot, a scheme.
  10. Natural talent; genius.
  11. Anything used to effect a purpose; any device or contrivance; an agent.
verb
  1. To equip with an engine; said especially of steam vessels.
  2. To assault with an engine.
  3. To contrive; to put into action.
  4. To rack; to torture.

ennui

noun
  1. A gripping listlessness or melancholia caused by boredom; depression.
verb
  1. To make bored or listless; to weary.

expunge

verb
  1. To erase or strike out.
  2. To eliminate completely; annihilate.
  3. To delete permanently (e-mail etc.) that was previously marked for deletion but still stored.

expunging

verb
  1. To erase or strike out.
  2. To eliminate completely; annihilate.
  3. To delete permanently (e-mail etc.) that was previously marked for deletion but still stored.
noun
  1. The act by which something is expunged; a deletion.

gene

noun
  1. A theoretical unit of heredity of living organisms; a gene may take several values and in principle predetermines a precise trait of an organism's form (phenotype), such as hair color.
  2. A segment of DNA or RNA from a cell's or an organism's genome, that may take several forms and thus parameterizes a phenomenon, in general the structure of a protein; locus.

genie

noun
  1. A jinn, a being descended from the jann, normally invisible to the human eye, but who may also appear in animal or human form.
  2. A fictional magical being that is typically bound to obey the commands of a mortal possessing its container.

genii

Etymology 1

noun
  1. Someone possessing extraordinary intelligence or skill; especially somebody who has demonstrated this by a creative or original work in science, music, art etc.
  2. Extraordinary mental capacity.
  3. Inspiration, a mental leap, an extraordinary creative process.
  4. The tutelary deity or spirit of a place or person.

Etymology 2

noun
  1. A jinn, a being descended from the jann, normally invisible to the human eye, but who may also appear in animal or human form.
  2. A fictional magical being that is typically bound to obey the commands of a mortal possessing its container.

genuine

adjective
  1. Belonging to, or proceeding from the original stock; native
  2. Not counterfeit, spurious, false, or adulterated

gigging

verb
  1. To fish or catch with a gig, or fish spear.
  2. To engage in musical performances.
  3. To make fun of; to make a joke at someone's expense, often condescending.
  4. To impose a demerit for an infraction of a dress or deportment code.
verb
  1. To engender.

ginning

verb
  1. To remove the seeds from cotton with a cotton gin.
  2. To trap something in a gin.
verb
  1. To begin.
noun
  1. The act of removing seeds from cotton with a cotton gin.

gunning

No Definition Found.

ingenue

noun
  1. An innocent, unsophisticated, naïve, wholesome girl or young woman.
  2. A dramatic role of such a woman; an actress playing such a role.

inning

Etymology 1

noun
  1. A period of play in which members of a visiting baseball team attempt to hit a baseball pitched by the opposing home team until three players are called out, followed by a similar attempt by members of the home baseball team against the visiting team's pitching. There are nine or more innings in a regulation baseball game.
  2. A similar period of play.
  3. A player (or team)'s turn at the table to make shots until ended by a miss or a foul.
  4. A chance or opportunity to perform some deed or act.
  5. The gathering of a crop; harvesting.
  6. Lands recovered from the sea.

Etymology 2

verb
  1. To house; to lodge.
  2. To take lodging; to lodge.

nene

noun
  1. The Hawaiian goose, Branta sandvicensis, which was designated the state bird of Hawaii in 1957.

nine

noun
  1. The digit or figure 9.
  2. A playing card with nine pips.
  3. A nine-millimeter semi-automatic pistol.
  4. (usually in the plural) A statistical unit of proportion (of reliability, purity, etc.).
  5. A baseball club, team, or lineup (composed of nine players).
numeral
  1. A numerical value equal to 9; the number following eight and preceding ten.
  2. Describing a group or set with nine elements.

ninepin

No Definition Found.

nipping

verb
  1. To catch and enclose or compress tightly between two surfaces, or points which are brought together or closed; to pinch; to close in upon.
  2. To remove by pinching, biting, or cutting with two meeting edges of anything; to clip.
  3. To blast, as by frost; to check the growth or vigor of; to destroy.
  4. To annoy, as by nipping.
  5. To taunt.
  6. To squeeze or pinch.
  7. To steal; especially to cut a purse.
verb
  1. To make a quick, short journey or errand, usually a round trip.
noun
  1. The act or sensation of giving a nip.

nixing

verb
  1. To make something become nothing; to reject or cancel.
  2. To destroy or eradicate.

peeing

verb
  1. To urinate.
  2. (mildly vulgar) To drizzle.

peen

Etymology 1

noun
  1. The (often spherical) end of the head of a hammer opposite the main hammering end.
verb
  1. To shape metal by striking it, especially with a peen.

Etymology 2

noun
  1. Penis.

peeping

verb
  1. To make a soft, shrill noise like a baby bird.
  2. To speak briefly with a quiet voice.
verb
  1. To look, especially through a narrow opening, or while trying not to be seen or noticed.
  2. To begin to appear; to look forth from concealment; to make the first appearance.
noun
  1. The action of the verb to peep.

pegging

verb
  1. To fasten using a peg.
  2. To affix or pin.
  3. To fix a value or price.
  4. To narrow the cuff openings of a pair of pants so that the legs take on a peg shape.
  5. To throw.
  6. To indicate or ascribe an attribute to. (Assumed to originate from the use of pegs or pins as markers on a bulletin board or a list.)
  7. To move one's pegs to indicate points scored; to score with a peg.
  8. To reach or exceed the maximum value on (a scale or gauge).
  9. (typically in heterosexual contexts) To engage in anal sex by penetrating (one's male partner) with a dildo.
  10. To keep working hard at something; to peg away.
noun
  1. The act of fastening with a peg.
  2. Pegs collectively.
  3. The activity of artificial climbing on crags and in quarries outside the main mountain areas.
  4. (sex) The act of anal penetration of a man by a woman wearing a strap-on dildo.
  5. Determined perseverance in work; pegging away.
  6. A thrashing.

penguin

noun
  1. Any of several flightless sea birds, of order Sphenisciformes, found in the Southern Hemisphere, marked by their usual upright stance, walking on short legs, and (generally) their stark black and white plumage.
  2. An auk (sometimes especially a great auk), a bird of the Northern Hemisphere.
  3. A nun (association through appearance, because of the black and white habit).
  4. A type of catch where the palm of the hand is facing towards the leg with the arm stretched downward, resembling the flipper of a penguin.
  5. A spiny bromeliad with egg-shaped fleshy fruit, Bromelia pinguin.

penne

noun
  1. A type of short, diagonally cut pasta.

penning

Etymology 1

verb
  1. To enclose in a pen.
verb
  1. To write (an article, a book, etc.).
noun
  1. Writing; literary composition.

Etymology 2

noun
  1. An old currency unit, the Swedish penning.

pepping

verb
  1. To inject with energy and enthusiasm.

pigging

Etymology 1

verb
  1. (of swine) to give birth.
  2. To greedily consume (especially food).
  3. To huddle or lie together like pigs, in one bed.
  4. To clean (a pipeline) using a pig (the device).
noun
  1. The use of a pig (the device) to clean a pipeline.
adjective
  1. Damned (used as a mild intensive).

Etymology 2

noun
  1. A small pail, can or ladle with the handle on the side; a lading-can. In the colonial era, some buckets were made like a small barrel, but with one stave left extra long. This stave would be carved into a handle so the bucket could be used as an oversized scoop for scattering grain, slopping the hogs, etc.

pigpen

noun
  1. A pigsty; an enclosure where pigs are kept.
  2. Something extremely dirty or messy.
  3. The pigpen cipher

pine

Etymology 1

noun
  1. Any coniferous tree of the genus Pinus.
  2. Any tree (usually coniferous) which resembles a member of this genus in some respect.
  3. The wood of this tree.
  4. (obsolete except South Africa) A pineapple.

Etymology 2

noun
  1. A painful longing.

Etymology 3

verb
  1. To languish; to lose flesh or wear away through distress.
  2. To long, to yearn so much that it causes suffering.
  3. To grieve or mourn for.
  4. To inflict pain upon; to torment.

ping

noun
  1. A high-pitched, short and somewhat sharp sound.
  2. (submarine navigation) A pulse of high-pitched or ultrasonic sound whose echoes provide information about nearby objects and vessels.
  3. A packet which a remote host is expected to echo, thus indicating its presence.
  4. An email or other message sent requesting acknowledgement.
  5. Latency.
  6. A means of highlighting a feature on the game map so that allied players can see it.
  7. (WMF jargon) A notification.
verb
  1. To make a high-pitched, short and somewhat sharp sound.
  2. (submarine navigation) To emit a signal and then listen for its echo in order to detect objects.
  3. To send a packet in order to determine whether a host is present, particularly by use of the ping utility.
  4. (by extension) To send an email or other message to someone in hopes of eliciting a response.
  5. To flick.
  6. To bounce.
  7. To cause something to bounce.
  8. To call out audibly.
  9. To penalize.

pinging

verb
  1. To make a high-pitched, short and somewhat sharp sound.
  2. (submarine navigation) To emit a signal and then listen for its echo in order to detect objects.
  3. To send a packet in order to determine whether a host is present, particularly by use of the ping utility.
  4. (by extension) To send an email or other message to someone in hopes of eliciting a response.
  5. To flick.
  6. To bounce.
  7. To cause something to bounce.
  8. To call out audibly.
  9. To penalize.
noun
  1. The sound of a ping.
  2. The act of sending a ping, as by a submarine or over a computer network.

pining

verb
  1. To languish; to lose flesh or wear away through distress.
  2. To long, to yearn so much that it causes suffering.
  3. To grieve or mourn for.
  4. To inflict pain upon; to torment.
noun
  1. The act of one who pines.

pinning

verb
  1. To shape metal by striking it, especially with a peen.
verb
  1. (often followed by a preposition such as "to" or "on") To fasten or attach (something) with a pin.
  2. (usually in the passive) To cause (a piece) to be in a pin.
  3. To pin down (someone).
  4. To enclose; to confine; to pen; to pound.
  5. To attach (an icon, application, etc.) to another item.
  6. To fix (an array in memory, a security certificate, etc.) so that it cannot be modified.
  7. To cause an analog gauge to reach the stop pin at the high end of the range.
noun
  1. The action of the verb pin in any sense.
  2. A ceremony in which a pin badge is given.
  3. The establishment of the definite quantum state of a particle, or of the occupation number of a system of particles

pinup

noun
  1. A photograph, printed in a magazine or other publication, of a sexually attractive person (often nude or provocatively dressed), and intended to be removed and pinned up on a wall.
  2. The person so depicted.
  3. Figurehead, person who represents an idea, cause etc.

piping

verb
  1. To play (music) on a pipe instrument, such as a bagpipe or a flute.
  2. To shout loudly and at high pitch.
  3. To emit or have a shrill sound like that of a pipe; to whistle.
  4. Of a metal ingot: to become hollow in the process of solidifying.
  5. To convey or transport (something) by means of pipes.
  6. To install or configure with pipes.
  7. To dab moisture away from.
  8. To lead or conduct as if by pipes, especially by wired transmission.
  9. To directly feed (the output of one program) as input to another program, indicated by the pipe character (pipe) at the command line.
  10. To create or decorate with piping (icing).
  11. To order or signal by a note pattern on a boatswain's pipe.
  12. (of a male) To have sexual intercourse with a female.
  13. To see.
noun
  1. The process of an animal just beginning to break out of its egg; precedes hatching.
  2. The sound of musical pipes.
  3. An act of making music or noise with pipes.
  4. A system of pipes that compose a structure; pipework.
  5. An ornamentation on the edges of a garment; a small cord covered with cloth.
  6. Icing extruded from a piping bag.
  7. A piece cut off to be set or planted; a cutting.
  8. Propagation by cuttings
adjective
  1. High-pitched.

pippin

Etymology 1

noun
  1. A seed

Etymology 2

noun
  1. Any of several varieties of eating apple that have a yellow or green skin with patches of red
  2. Any of several roundish or oblate apple varieties
  3. An apple tree raised from a seed (not grafted)

punning

verb
  1. To beat; strike with force; to ram; to pound, as in a mortar; reduce to powder, to pulverize.
  2. To make or tell a pun; to make a play on words.
noun
  1. The action of the verb to pun.
adjective
  1. That makes or uses a pun.

unpeg

verb
  1. To remove from a peg.

unpegging

verb
  1. To remove from a peg.

unpen

No Definition Found.

unpenning

No Definition Found.

unpin

verb
  1. To unfasten by removing a pin.
  2. To detach (an icon, application, etc.) from the place where it was previously pinned.
  3. To get out of a pin

unpinning

verb
  1. To unfasten by removing a pin.
  2. To detach (an icon, application, etc.) from the place where it was previously pinned.
  3. To get out of a pin

upping

verb
  1. To increase or raise.
  2. To promote.
  3. (usually in combination with another verb) To act suddenly.
  4. To ascend; to climb up.
  5. To upload.
noun
  1. The act of increasing something.

innie

noun
  1. A navel that is formed of a hollow in the abdomen (as opposed to one that protrudes from the abdomen).
  2. A vagina with inner labia minora