Wednesday, December 10, 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: 297

Number of Answers: 57

Points Needed for Genius: 208

Genius requires between 28 and 49 words. You need at least a 7-letter word to reach genius. If you don't get the pangrams, you need 78% of the total points to reach genius. If you get the pangrams, you only need 66% 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 297 was in the 93rd percentile of all puzzles.
The last time there was a score this high was on November 29, 2025.
The highest score ever was 537 on January 22, 2021.
The lowest score ever was 47 on March 27, 2023.

This puzzle's 57 possible answers rank it in the 87th percentile of all puzzles.
The last time there were more answers than this was on November 29, 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 December 9, 2025.

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 225
  • loll 209
  • toot 203
  • naan 185
  • nana 185
  • lilt 149
  • till 149
  • tilt 149
  • nene 145
  • tint 144
  • mama 141
  • mamma 141
  • onion 136
  • onto 135
  • toon 135
  • acacia 134
  • acai 134
  • anal 127
  • anon 126
  • olio 122
  • dodo 120
  • tact 118
  • baba 117
  • papa 117
  • boob 116
  • booboo 116
  • poop 115
  • lull 114
  • lulu 114
  • call 112
  • calla 112
  • cocci 112
  • mitt 112
  • mono 112
  • moon 112
  • loon 109
  • ratatat 109
  • tart 109
  • tartar 109
  • tutu 109
  • attar 108
  • allay 107
  • ally 107
  • ammo 107
  • momma 107
  • tattoo 107
  • tatty 106
  • roar 104
  • epee 103
  • meme 103


How long are words in the Bee?

There have been 110,644 answers ever accepted in the Bee - with 10,875 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*:

  • agee
  • aggie
  • aglee
  • agley
  • agly
  • aiglet
  • atigi
  • egal
  • egalite
  • elegit
  • galatea
  • galea
  • galeae
  • galeate
  • galilee
  • gallate
  • gallet
  • galleta
  • gally
  • gateleg
  • gayal
  • gelate
  • gelly
  • geta
  • giga
  • giglet
  • gillie
  • gilly
  • gite
  • gleet
  • gleety
  • gleg
  • glegly
  • gley
  • glial
  • tallage
  • tegg
  • telega
  • yage
  • yagi
  • yegg

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

agate

Etymology 1

noun
  1. A semi-pellucid, uncrystallized variety of quartz, presenting various tints in the same specimen, with colors delicately arranged in stripes or bands, or blended in clouds.
  2. The size of type between pearl and nonpareil, standardized as 5 1/2-point.
  3. One fourteenth of an inch
  4. A diminutive person; so called in allusion to the small figures cut in agate for rings and seals.
  5. A tool used by gold-wire drawers, bookbinders, etc.;—so called from the agate fixed in it for burnishing.
  6. A marble made from agate.
  7. (usually in the plural) A testicle.

Etymology 2

adverb
  1. On the way; agoing.

agile

adjective
  1. Having the faculty of quick motion in the limbs; apt or ready to move
  2. Characterised by quick motion
  3. Of or relating to agile software development, a technique for iterative and incremental development of software involving collaboration between teams.

agilely

No Definition Found.

agility

noun
  1. The quality of being agile; the power of moving the limbs quickly and easily; quickness of motion
  2. A faculty of being agile in body, mind, or figuratively.

agita

noun
  1. Dyspepsia
  2. Mental aggravation; annoyance

agitate

verb
  1. To disturb or excite; to perturb or stir up (a person).
  2. To cause to move with a violent, irregular action; to shake.
  3. To set in motion; to actuate.
  4. To discuss or debate.
  5. To revolve in the mind, or view in all its aspects; to consider, to devise.

aglet

noun
  1. The cover at the tip of a shoelace, to prevent it from fraying.
  2. A catkin.
noun
  1. A tip, originally of metal and often decorative, on a ribbon or cord that makes lacing two parts of a garment or garments together easier, as in corset lacings, "points" (lacing hose or trousers to jacket or doublet) or sleeves to a bodice.
  2. An ornament worn on clothing, consisting of a metal tag on a fringe, or a small metallic plate or spangle.

alga

noun
  1. Any of many aquatic photosynthetic organisms, including the seaweeds, whose size ranges from a single cell to giant kelps and whose biochemistry and forms are very diverse, some being eukaryotic.

algae

noun
  1. Any of many aquatic photosynthetic organisms, including the seaweeds, whose size ranges from a single cell to giant kelps and whose biochemistry and forms are very diverse, some being eukaryotic.
noun
  1. Algal organisms viewed collectively or as a mass; algal growth.
  2. A particular kind of algae.

algal

noun
  1. An alga.
adjective
  1. Pertaining to, or like, algae

allege

Etymology 1

verb
  1. To state under oath, to plead.
  2. To cite or quote an author or his work for or against.
  3. To adduce (something) as a reason, excuse, support etc.
  4. To make a claim as justification or proof; to make an assertion without proof.

Etymology 2

verb
  1. To lighten, diminish.

eagle

noun
  1. Any of several large carnivorous and carrion-eating birds in the family Accipitridae, having a powerful hooked bill and keen vision.
  2. A gold coin with a face value of ten dollars, formerly used in the United States.
  3. A 13th-century coin minted in Europe and circulated in England as a debased sterling silver penny, outlawed under Edward I.
  4. A score of two under par for a hole.
verb
  1. To score an eagle.

eaglet

noun
  1. The immature young of an eagle; an eagle chick.

eggy

Etymology 1

adjective
  1. Covered with or dipped in egg.
  2. Resembling eggs in some way.
  3. Of or relating to an egg or eggs.

Etymology 2

adjective
  1. Slightly annoyed.

elegy

noun
  1. A mournful or plaintive poem; a funeral song; a poem of lamentation.
  2. A composition of mournful character.

gaga

Etymology 1

adjective
  1. Mentally senile.
  2. Crazy.
  3. Infatuated.

Etymology 2

noun
  1. A variant of dodgeball played inside a fenced area, usually a hexagon or octagon.

gage

Etymology 1

noun
  1. Something, such as a glove or other pledge, thrown down as a challenge to combat (now usually figurative).
  2. Something valuable deposited as a guarantee or pledge; security, ransom.
verb
  1. To give or deposit as a pledge or security; to pawn.
  2. To wager, to bet.
  3. To bind by pledge, or security; to engage.

Etymology 2

noun
  1. A measure; a standard of measure; an instrument to determine dimensions, distance, or capacity; a standard
  2. An act of measuring.
  3. An estimate.
  4. Any instrument for ascertaining or regulating the level, state, dimensions or forms of things
  5. A thickness of sheet metal or wire designated by any of several numbering schemes.
  6. The distance between the rails of a railway.
  7. A semi-norm; a function that assigns a non-negative size to all vectors in a vector space.
  8. The number of stitches per inch, centimetre, or other unit of distance.
  9. Relative positions of two or more vessels with reference to the wind.
  10. The depth to which a vessel sinks in the water.
  11. (plastering) The quantity of plaster of Paris used with common plaster to make it set more quickly.
  12. That part of a shingle, slate, or tile, which is exposed to the weather, when laid; also, one course of such shingles, slates, or tiles.
  13. A unit of measurement which describes how many spheres of bore diameter of a shotgun can be had from one pound of lead; 12 gauge is roughly equivalent to .75 caliber.
  14. (by extension) A shotgun (synecdoche for 12 gauge shotgun, the most common chambering for combat and hunting shotguns).
  15. A tunnel-like ear piercing consisting of a hollow ring embedded in the lobe.
verb
  1. To measure or determine with a gauge; to measure the capacity of.
  2. To estimate.
  3. To appraise the character or ability of; to judge of.
  4. To draw into equidistant gathers by running a thread through it.
  5. To mix (a quantity of ordinary plaster) with a quantity of plaster of Paris.
  6. To chip, hew or polish (stones, bricks, etc) to a standard size and/or shape.

Etymology 3

noun
  1. A subspecies of plum, Prunus domestica subsp. italica.

Etymology 4

noun
  1. A quart pot.
  2. A pint pot.
  3. (metonymically) A drink.
  4. A tobacco pipe.
  5. A chamberpot.
  6. A small quantity of anything.
  7. Marijuana

gaggle

noun
  1. (collective) A group of geese when they are on the ground or on the water.
  2. (by extension) Any group or gathering of related things.
verb
  1. To make a noise like a goose; to cackle.

gaiety

noun
  1. The state of being happy or merry.
  2. Merrymaking or festivity.

gaily

adverb
  1. Merrily.
  2. Showily.

gait

Etymology 1

noun
  1. Manner of walking or stepping; bearing or carriage while moving.
  2. One of the different ways in which a horse can move, either naturally or as a result of training.
verb
  1. To teach a specific gait to a horse.

Etymology 2

noun
  1. A sheaf of corn.
  2. A charge for pasturage.

gala

Etymology 1

noun
  1. Pomp, show, or festivity.
  2. A showy and festive party.
adjective
  1. Celebratory; festive.

Etymology 2

noun
  1. A member of an androgynous class of priests of the Sumerian goddess Inanna.

gale

Etymology 1

verb
  1. To sing; charm; enchant.
  2. To cry; groan; croak.
  3. (of a person) To talk.
  4. (of a bird) To call.
  5. To sing; utter with musical modulations.

Etymology 2

noun
  1. A very strong wind, more than a breeze, less than a storm; number 7 through to 9 winds on the 12-step Beaufort scale.
  2. An outburst, especially of laughter.
  3. A light breeze.
  4. A song or story.
verb
  1. To sail, or sail fast.

Etymology 3

noun
  1. A shrub, also called sweet gale or bog myrtle (Myrica gale), that grows on moors and fens.

Etymology 4

noun
  1. A periodic payment, such as is made of a rent or annuity.

galette

noun
  1. A type of flat, round cake from France.
  2. Clipping of Breton galette: a crêpe or pancake made with buckwheat flour, and often with a savoury filling, originally from Upper Brittany in France.

gall

Etymology 1

noun
  1. Bile, especially that of an animal; the greenish, profoundly bitter-tasting fluid found in bile ducts and gall bladders, structures associated with the liver.
  2. The gall bladder.
  3. Great misery or physical suffering, likened to the bitterest-tasting of substances.
  4. A feeling of exasperation.
  5. Impudence or brazenness; temerity, chutzpah.
  6. A sore or open wound caused by chafing, which may become infected, as with a blister.
  7. A sore on a horse caused by an ill-fitted or ill-adjusted saddle; a saddle sore.
  8. A pit on a surface being cut caused by the friction between the two surfaces exceeding the bond of the material at a point.
verb
  1. To bother or trouble.
  2. To harass, to harry, often with the intent to cause injury.
  3. To chafe, to rub or subject to friction; to create a sore on the skin.
  4. To exasperate.
  5. To cause pitting on a surface being cut from the friction between the two surfaces exceeding the bond of the material at a point.
  6. To scoff; to jeer.

Etymology 2

noun
  1. A blister or tumor-like growth found on the surface of plants, caused by burrowing of insect larvae into the living tissues, especially that of the common oak gall wasp Cynips quercusfolii.
  2. A bump-like imperfection resembling a gall.
verb
  1. To impregnate with a decoction of gallnuts in dyeing.

galley

noun
  1. A long, slender ship propelled primarily by oars, whether having masts and sails or not; usually referring to rowed warships used in the Mediterranean from the 16th century until the modern era.
  2. A light, open boat used on the Thames by customhouse officers, press gangs, and also for pleasure.
  3. One of the small boats carried by a man-of-war.
  4. The cookroom or kitchen and cooking apparatus of a vessel or aircraft; sometimes on merchant vessels called the caboose.
  5. An oblong oven or muffle with a battery of retorts; a gallery furnace.
  6. An oblong tray of wood or brass, with upright sides, for holding type which has been set, or is to be made up, etc.
  7. A proof sheet taken from type while on a galley; a galley proof.
  8. A representation of a single masted ship propelled by oars, with three flags and a basket.

gate

Etymology 1

noun
  1. A doorlike structure outside a house.
  2. Doorway, opening, or passage in a fence or wall.
  3. Movable barrier.
  4. A logical pathway made up of switches which turn on or off. Examples are and, or, nand, etc.
  5. The gap between a batsman's bat and pad.
  6. The amount of money made by selling tickets to a concert or a sports event.
  7. (flow cytometry) A line that separates particle type-clusters on two-dimensional dot plots.
  8. Passageway (as in an air terminal) where passengers can embark or disembark.
  9. The controlling terminal of a field effect transistor (FET).
  10. In a lock tumbler, the opening for the stump of the bolt to pass through or into.
  11. The channel or opening through which metal is poured into the mould; the ingate.
  12. The waste piece of metal cast in the opening; a sprue or sullage piece. Also written geat and git.
  13. A mechanism, in a film camera and projector, that holds each frame momentarily stationary behind the aperture.
  14. A tally mark consisting of four vertical bars crossed by a diagonal, representing a count of five.
verb
  1. To keep something inside by means of a closed gate.
  2. To punish, especially a child or teenager, by not allowing them to go out.
  3. To open a closed ion channel.
  4. To furnish with a gate.
  5. To turn (an image intensifier) on and off selectively as needed, or to avoid damage. See autogating.

Etymology 2

noun
  1. A way, path.
  2. A journey.
  3. A street; now used especially as a combining form to make the name of a street e.g. "Briggate" (a common street name in the north of England meaning "Bridge Street") or Kirkgate meaning "Church Street".
  4. Manner; gait.

gayety

noun
  1. The state of being happy or merry.
  2. Merrymaking or festivity.

gayly

No Definition Found.

gelati

noun
  1. Gelato, Italian style ice-cream; a serving of gelato, often in a cone.
noun
  1. An Italian variant of ice cream made from milk and sugar, combined with other flavourings. The ingredients are supercooled while stirring to break up ice crystals as they form.

gelee

No Definition Found.

gelt

Etymology 1

noun
  1. A lunatic.

Etymology 2

noun
  1. Gilding; gilt.

Etymology 3

verb
  1. To castrate a male (usually an animal).
  2. To deprive of anything essential; to weaken.
noun
  1. A gelding.

Etymology 4

noun
  1. Money.
  2. Tribute; tax.

Etymology 5

noun
  1. Money, especially that given as a gift on Hanukkah or used in games of dreidel.
  2. Chocolate candy in the shape of coins, usually wrapped in metallic foil, usually eaten on Hanukkah and often used for games of dreidel.
  3. Money.

giggle

noun
  1. A high-pitched, silly laugh.
  2. Fun; an amusing episode.
verb
  1. To laugh gently or in a high-pitched voice; to laugh in a silly or giddy way.

giggly

adjective
  1. Prone to giggling.

gill

Etymology 1

noun
  1. (animal anatomy) a breathing organ of fish and other aquatic animals
  2. (of a fish) a gill slit or gill cover
  3. One of the radial folds on the underside of the cap of a mushroom, on the surface of which the spore-producing organs are borne
  4. (animal anatomy) the fleshy flap that hangs below the beak of a fowl; a wattle
  5. The flesh under or about the chin; a wattle
  6. (spinning) one of the combs of closely ranged steel pins which divide the ribbons of flax fiber or wool into fewer parallel filaments
verb
  1. To remove the gills from a fish as part of gutting and cleaning it
  2. To catch (a fish) in a gillnet
  3. To be or become entangled in a gillnet

Etymology 2

noun
  1. A drink measure for spirits and wine (size varies regionally but it is about one quarter of a pint)
  2. A measuring jug holding a quarter or half a pint

Etymology 3

noun
  1. Rivulet
  2. Ravine

Etymology 4

noun
  1. A two-wheeled frame for transporting timber

Etymology 5

noun
  1. A leech

Etymology 6

noun
  1. A female ferret
  2. A promiscuous woman; harlot, wanton
  3. A prostitute
verb
  1. To act as a prostitute.

gilt

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.
noun
  1. Gold or other metal in a thin layer; gilding.
  2. Money.
  3. A security issued by the Bank of England (see gilt-edged)
  4. A gilded object, an object covered with gold.
adjective
  1. Golden coloured.

Etymology 2

noun
  1. A young female pig, at or nearing the age of first breeding.

glee

noun
  1. Joy; happiness great delight, especially from one's own good fortune or from another's misfortune.
  2. Music; minstrelsy; entertainment.
  3. An unaccompanied part song for three or more solo voices, not necessarily merry.
verb
  1. To sing a glee (unaccompanied part song).

glia

noun
  1. The network of glial cells that supports nervous system tissue.

illegal

noun
  1. An illegal act or technique.
  2. (plural, as illegals) Contraband, esp. illegal substances such as drugs.
  3. An illegal immigrant.
  4. A spy working abroad illegally and undercover, without visible ties to his or her country’s authorities.
adjective
  1. Contrary to or forbidden by law, especially criminal law.
  2. Forbidden by established rules.
  3. (of an issue printed for collectors) Totally fictitious, and often issued on behalf of a non-existent territory or country.
  4. (of a person, sometimes offensive) Being or doing something illegally.
  5. (sometimes offensive) Being an illegal immigrant; residing in a country illegally.

illegality

noun
  1. The state of being illegal
  2. A defense to the validity of a contract because it was in violation of the law

illegally

adverb
  1. In a manner contrary to law.

lallygag

noun
  1. Horseplay, fooling around.
  2. A layabout, one who lallygags.
verb
  1. (See lollygag.) To dawdle; to be lazy or idle; to avoid necessary work or effort.
  2. To pet, kiss, or otherwise demonstrate overt affection, generally in public.

legality

noun
  1. Lawfulness.

legally

adverb
  1. As permitted by law; not contrary to law.
  2. From a legal perspective.

legate

noun
  1. A deputy representing the pope, specifically a papal ambassador sent on special ecclesiastical missions.
  2. An ambassador or messenger.
  3. The deputy of a provincial governor or general in ancient Rome.
verb
  1. To leave as a legacy.

legatee

noun
  1. One who receives a legacy.

leggy

adjective
  1. (chiefly of a woman) Having long, attractive legs; long-legged.
  2. (chiefly of a woman) Exposing the bare or pantyhose-clad legs, especially the thighs.
  3. Taller or longer than usual.

legit

noun
  1. A legitimate; a legitimate actor.
  2. A legitimate child.
adjective
  1. Legitimate; legal; allowed by the rules; valid.
  2. (by extension, of a thing or person) Genuine, actual, literal or honest.
  3. Genuinely good and possessing all the required or expected qualities; the real deal.
  4. Cool by virtue of being genuine.
adverb
  1. Legitimately; within the law.
  2. Honestly; truly; seriously.

liege

noun
  1. A free and independent person; specifically, a lord paramount; a sovereign.
  2. (in full liege lord) A king or lord.
  3. The subject of a sovereign or lord; a liegeman.
adjective
  1. Sovereign; independent; having authority or right to allegiance.
  2. Serving an independent sovereign or master; bound by a feudal tenure; obliged to be faithful and loyal to a superior, such as a vassal to his lord; faithful.
  3. Full; perfect; complete; pure.

ligate

verb
  1. To bind with a ligature or bandage.
  2. To connect text characters with a ligature.

litigate

verb
  1. (construed with on) To go to law; to carry on a lawsuit.
  2. To contest in law.
  3. (transferred sense) To dispute; to fight over.

tagliatelle

noun
  1. Long, flat ribbons of pasta, originally from Emilia-Romagna, sliced from a rolled-out sheet

taiga

noun
  1. A subarctic zone of evergreen coniferous forests situated south of the tundras and north of the steppes in the Northern Hemisphere.

tailgate

noun
  1. A hinged board or hatch at the rear of a vehicle that can be lowered for loading and unloading; a tailboard.
  2. The hinged rear door of a hatchback.
  3. Either of the downstream gates in a canal lock.
verb
  1. To drive dangerously close behind another vehicle.
  2. To follow another person through access control on their access, rather than on one’s own credentials, especially when entering a door controlled by a card reader.
  3. (of a broker) To privately purchase or sell a security immediately after trading in the same security for a client.
  4. To have a tailgate party.

tillage

noun
  1. The cultivation of arable land by plowing, sowing and raising crops.
  2. Land cultivated in this way.

laggy

adjective
  1. Having a delayed response to a change in the factors influencing it.
  2. Tending to lag, or respond slowly because of network latency.