Thursday, December 11, 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: 190

Number of Answers: 39

Points Needed for Genius: 133

Genius requires between 22 and 33 words. You need at least a 6-letter word to reach genius. If you don't get the pangram, you need 76% 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 190 was in the 60th percentile of all puzzles.
The last time there was a score this high was on December 10, 2025.
The highest score ever was 537 on January 22, 2021.
The lowest score ever was 47 on March 27, 2023.

This puzzle's 39 possible answers rank it in the 49th percentile of all puzzles.
The last time there were fewer answers than this was on December 10, 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 6-letter word for genius.
The last time this happened was on December 5, 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 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
  • allay 108
  • ally 108
  • attar 108
  • ammo 107
  • momma 107
  • tattoo 107
  • tatty 106
  • roar 104
  • epee 103
  • meme 103


How long are words in the Bee?

There have been 110,683 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*:

  • allyl
  • appley
  • ayaya
  • elmy
  • emmy
  • employe
  • empyema
  • leally
  • lollopy
  • lolly
  • lollypop
  • looey
  • loppy
  • malmy
  • mamey
  • mammey
  • mammy
  • maya
  • mayapple
  • maypop
  • moly
  • mooley
  • moppy
  • mopy
  • myoma
  • myopy
  • pally
  • paly
  • playa
  • ploye
  • poly
  • polyol
  • polyoma
  • pommy
  • poopy
  • popply
  • ylem
  • yomp

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

allay

noun
  1. Alleviation; abatement; check.
  2. An alloy.
verb
  1. To make quiet or put at rest; to pacify or appease; to quell; to calm.
  2. To alleviate; to abate; to mitigate.
  3. To subside, abate, become peaceful.
  4. To mix (metals); to mix with a baser metal; to alloy; to deteriorate.
  5. (by extension) To make worse by the introduction of inferior elements.

alley

Etymology 1

noun
  1. A narrow street or passageway, especially one through the middle of a block giving access to the rear of lots or buildings.
  2. The area between the outfielders.
  3. An establishment where bowling is played.
  4. An elongated wooden strip of floor along which a bowling ball is rolled.
  5. The extra area between the sidelines or tramlines on a tennis court that is used for doubles matches.
  6. A walk or passage in a garden or park, bordered by rows of trees or bushes.
  7. A passageway between rows of pews in a church.
  8. (perspective drawing) Any passage having the entrance represented as wider than the exit, so as to give the appearance of length.
  9. The space between two rows of compositors' stands in a printing office.

Etymology 2

noun
  1. A glass marble or taw.

alloy

Etymology 1

noun
  1. A metal that is a combination of two or more elements, at least one of which is a metal.
  2. A metal of lesser value, mixed with a metal of greater value.
  3. An admixture; something added which stains, taints etc.
  4. Fusion, marriage, combination.

Etymology 2

verb
  1. To mix or combine; often used of metals.
  2. To reduce the purity of by mixing with a less valuable substance.
  3. To impair or debase by mixture.

ally

Etymology 1

noun
  1. A person, group, or state (etc) which is associated with another for a common cause; one united to another by treaty or common purpose; a confederate.
  2. A person, group, concept (etc) which is associated with another as a helper; a supporter; an auxiliary.
  3. Anything akin to something else by structure, etc.
  4. A closely related species, usually within the same family.
  5. A relative; a kinsman.
verb
  1. To unite, or form a connection between, as between families by marriage, or between princes and states by treaty, league, or confederacy.
  2. To connect or form a relation between by similitude, resemblance, friendship, or love.

Etymology 2

noun
  1. A narrow street or passageway, especially one through the middle of a block giving access to the rear of lots or buildings.
  2. The area between the outfielders.
  3. An establishment where bowling is played.
  4. An elongated wooden strip of floor along which a bowling ball is rolled.
  5. The extra area between the sidelines or tramlines on a tennis court that is used for doubles matches.
  6. A walk or passage in a garden or park, bordered by rows of trees or bushes.
  7. A passageway between rows of pews in a church.
  8. (perspective drawing) Any passage having the entrance represented as wider than the exit, so as to give the appearance of length.
  9. The space between two rows of compositors' stands in a printing office.
noun
  1. A glass marble or taw.

amply

adverb
  1. In an ample manner.

amyl

noun
  1. Pentyl
adjective
  1. Of or pertaining to starch

apply

Etymology 1

verb
  1. To lay or place; to put (one thing to another)
  2. To put to use; to use or employ for a particular purpose, or in a particular case
  3. To make use of, declare, or pronounce, as suitable, fitting, or relative
  4. To put closely; to join; to engage and employ diligently, or with attention
  5. To to address; to refer; generally used reflexively.
  6. To submit oneself as a candidate (with the adposition "to" designating the recipient of the submission, and the adposition "for" designating the position).
  7. To pertain or be relevant to a specified individual or group.
  8. To busy; to keep at work; to ply.
  9. To visit.

Etymology 2

adjective
  1. Resembling apples, apple-like.
  2. Of, or pertaining to, apples.

eely

No Definition Found.

employ

noun
  1. The state of being an employee; employment.
  2. The act of employing someone or making use of something; employment.
verb
  1. To hire (somebody for work or a job).
  2. To use (somebody for a job, or something for a task).
  3. To make busy.

employee

noun
  1. An individual who provides labor to a company or another person.

lamely

No Definition Found.

laypeople

noun
  1. A person who is not a cleric.
  2. One who is not intimately familiar with a given subject or activity.

loamy

adjective
  1. Consisting of loam; partaking of the nature of loam; resembling loam.

loopy

adjective
  1. Having loops.
  2. Idiotic, crazy or drunk.

loyal

adjective
  1. Having or demonstrating undivided and constant support for someone or something.
  2. Firm in allegiance to a person or institution.
  3. Faithful to a person or cause.

loyally

adverb
  1. In a loyal manner, faithfully.

mayo

noun
  1. A white person.
noun
  1. A dressing made from vegetable oil, raw egg yolks and seasoning, used on salads, with french fries, in sandwiches etc.
  2. Any cold dish with that dressing as an ingredient.
  3. Any cream, for example for moisturizing the face or conditioning the hair, for which the base is egg yolks and oil.

maypole

noun
  1. A pole, garlanded with streamers held by people who dance around it to celebrate May Day.
  2. A maypole-like structure of sticks placed about a sapling in the bowers of certain species of bowerbird.
  3. A penis, especially a large one.

mealy

adjective
  1. Resembling meal (the foodstuff).

molly

Etymology 1

noun
  1. A woman or girl, especially of low status.
  2. An effeminate male, a male homosexual.
  3. Pure MDMA powder.
  4. A mollemoke.
  5. A female cat, a she-cat (usually spayed)
  6. A bird, the wagtail.
  7. A molly bolt.
verb
  1. To engage in (male) homosexual activity with.

Etymology 2

noun
  1. A fish of the genus Poecilia, except for those known as guppies.

mommy

noun
  1. (usually childish) Mother.
verb
  1. To treat someone like a mother would; to mother someone.
adjective
  1. (chiefly in the superlative) Characteristic of a mother; motherly.

mopey

No Definition Found.

myeloma

noun
  1. A malignant tumour arising from cells of the bone marrow, specifically plasma cells.

myope

noun
  1. One who has myopia.

palely

No Definition Found.

palmy

adjective
  1. Made out of palm leaves or palm sap.
  2. Of, related to, or abounding in palm trees.
  3. Prosperous, flourishing, booming or thriving.

papally

No Definition Found.

papaya

noun
  1. A tropical American evergreen tree, Carica papaya, having large, yellow, edible fruit
  2. The fruit of this tree.
  3. An orange colour, like that of papaya flesh.

pappy

Etymology 1

adjective
  1. Like pap; soft; mushy.

Etymology 2

noun
  1. Father
  2. Grandfather

payee

noun
  1. One to whom money is paid.

payola

noun
  1. A bribe given in exchange for a favor, such as one given in exchange for the promotion of goods or services (originally one given to a disk jockey to play a record).

peppy

adjective
  1. Full of pep; energetic, cheerful, and vigorous; bouncy

play

noun
  1. Activity for amusement only, especially among the young.
  2. Similar activity in young animals, as they explore their environment and learn new skills.
  3. The conduct, or course, of a game.
  4. An individual's performance in a sport or game.
  5. A short sequence of action within a game.
  6. (turn-based games) An action carried out when it is one's turn to play.
  7. A literary composition, intended to be represented by actors impersonating the characters and speaking the dialogue.
  8. A theatrical performance featuring actors.
  9. A major move by a business or investor.
  10. A geological formation that contains an accumulation or prospect of hydrocarbons or other resources.
  11. The extent to which a part of a mechanism can move freely.
  12. Sexual activity or sexual role-playing.
  13. An instance of watching or listening to digital media.
  14. A button that, when pressed, causes media to be played.
  15. (now usually in compounds) Activity relating to martial combat or fighting.
verb
  1. To act in a manner such that one has fun; to engage in activities expressly for the purpose of recreation or entertainment.
  2. To perform in (a sport); to participate in (a game).
  3. To take part in amorous activity; to make love.
  4. To act as the indicated role, especially in a performance.
  5. (heading) To produce music or theatre.
  6. (heading) To behave in a particular way.
  7. To move in any manner; especially, to move regularly with alternate or reciprocating motion; to operate.
  8. To move to and fro.
  9. To put in action or motion.
  10. To keep in play, as a hooked fish in order to land it.
  11. To manipulate, deceive, or swindle someone.

ploy

Etymology 1

noun
  1. A tactic, strategy, or gimmick.
  2. Sport; frolic.
  3. Employment.

Etymology 2

verb
  1. To form a column from a line of troops on some designated subdivision.

polyp

noun
  1. An abnormal growth protruding from a mucous membrane
  2. A cylindrical coelenterate, such as the hydra, having a mouth surrounded with tentacles

poppy

Etymology 1

noun
  1. Any plant of the genus Papaver or the family Papaveraceae, with crumpled, often red, petals and a milky juice having narcotic properties; especially the common poppy or corn poppy (Papaver rhoeas) which has orange-red flowers; the flower of such a plant.
  2. A bright red colour tinted with orange, like that of the common poppy flower.
  3. A simple artificial poppy flower worn in a buttonhole or displayed in other contexts to remember those who died in the two World Wars and other armed conflicts, especially around Remembrance Sunday.
adjective
  1. Of a bright red colour tinted with orange, like that of the common poppy flower (Papaver rhoeas).

Etymology 2

adjective
  1. Having a popping or bursting sound.
  2. Of a beverage: resembling soda pop; effervescent, fizzy.
  3. Of eyes: protruding, sticking out.

Etymology 3

adjective
  1. Popular.
  2. Typical, or in the style, of pop music.

Etymology 4

noun
  1. One's father or grandfather, or a male authority figure having similar standing.

yappy

adjective
  1. Of a dog, yapping in an annoying manner.
  2. Very talkative; talking foolishly or at length.

yell

Etymology 1

noun
  1. A shout.
  2. A phrase to be shouted.
verb
  1. Shout; holler; make a loud sound with the voice.
  2. To convey by shouting
  3. To tell someone off (in a loud and angry manner)

Etymology 2

adjective
  1. Dry (of cow)

yelp

Etymology 1

noun
  1. An abrupt, high-pitched noise or utterance.
  2. A type of emergency vehicle siren sounding quicker and more intense than the wail.

Etymology 2

verb
  1. To utter an abrupt, high-pitched noise.