Sunday, January 4, 2026

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: 201

Number of Answers: 42

Points Needed for Genius: 141

Genius requires between 20 and 36 words. You need at least a 7-letter word to reach genius. If you don't get the pangram, you need 77% of the total points to reach genius. If you get the pangram, you only need 67% 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 201 was in the 64th percentile of all puzzles.
The last time there was a score this high was on January 3, 2026.
The highest score ever was 537 on January 22, 2021.
The lowest score ever was 47 on March 27, 2023.

This puzzle's 42 possible answers rank it in the 57th percentile of all puzzles.
The last time there were more answers than this was on January 3, 2026.
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 31, 2025.

Today's puzzle has an average word length of 5.5.
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 227
  • loll 209
  • toot 206
  • naan 188
  • nana 188
  • lilt 150
  • till 150
  • tilt 150
  • nene 148
  • tint 145
  • mama 141
  • mamma 141
  • onion 137
  • onto 136
  • toon 136
  • acacia 134
  • acai 134
  • anal 129
  • anon 127
  • olio 124
  • dodo 120
  • tact 120
  • baba 119
  • papa 119
  • boob 116
  • booboo 116
  • lull 116
  • lulu 116
  • poop 115
  • cocci 114
  • call 112
  • calla 112
  • mitt 112
  • mono 112
  • moon 112
  • tutu 112
  • ratatat 110
  • tart 110
  • tartar 110
  • tattoo 110
  • attar 109
  • loon 109
  • allay 108
  • ally 108
  • ammo 107
  • momma 107
  • tatty 106
  • roar 104
  • coot 103
  • epee 103


How long are words in the Bee?

There have been 111,767 answers ever accepted in the Bee - with 10,890 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*:

  • alfa
  • alfilaria
  • alif
  • faff
  • fallal
  • farfal
  • farl
  • fiar
  • fila
  • filar
  • filaria
  • filarial
  • filmi
  • filmily
  • firry
  • flam
  • flamy
  • flir
  • friarly
  • iffily
  • maffia
  • miffy
  • raff
  • rarify
  • yaff

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

afar

adverb
  1. At, to, or from a great distance; far away.

affair

noun
  1. (often in the plural) Something which is done or is to be done; business of any kind, commercial, professional, or public.
  2. Any proceeding or action which it is wished to refer to or characterize vaguely.
  3. An action or engagement not of sufficient magnitude to be called a battle.
  4. A material object (vaguely designated).
  5. An adulterous relationship. (from affaire de cœur).
  6. A romantic relationship with someone who is not one's regular partner (boyfriend, girlfriend).
  7. A person with whom someone has an adulterous relationship.
  8. A party or social gathering, especially of a formal nature.
  9. The (male or female) genitals.

affirm

verb
  1. To agree, verify or concur; to answer positively.
  2. To assert positively; to tell with confidence; to aver; to maintain as true.
  3. To support or encourage.
  4. To make firm; to confirm, or ratify; especially to assert or confirm, as a judgment, decree, or order, brought before an appellate court for review.

affray

noun
  1. The act of suddenly disturbing anyone; an assault or attack.
  2. A tumultuous assault or quarrel.
  3. The fighting of two or more persons, in a public place, to the terror of others.
  4. Terror.
verb
  1. To startle from quiet; to alarm.
  2. To frighten; to scare; to frighten away.

alfalfa

noun
  1. A plant, principally of Medicago sativa, grown as a pasture crop.
  2. A type or breed of this plant.

fail

Etymology 1

noun
  1. Poor quality; substandard workmanship.
  2. A failure (condition of being unsuccessful)
  3. A failure (something incapable of success)
  4. A failure, especially of a financial transaction (a termination of an action).
  5. A failing grade in an academic examination.
verb
  1. To be unsuccessful.
  2. Not to achieve a particular stated goal. (Usage note: The direct object of this word is usually an infinitive.)
  3. To neglect.
  4. Of a machine, etc.: to cease to operate correctly.
  5. To be wanting to, to be insufficient for, to disappoint, to desert.
  6. To receive one or more non-passing grades in academic pursuits.
  7. To give a student a non-passing grade in an academic endeavour.
  8. To miss attaining; to lose.
  9. To be wanting; to fall short; to be or become deficient in any measure or degree up to total absence.
  10. To be affected with want; to come short; to lack; to be deficient or unprovided; used with of.
  11. To fall away; to become diminished; to decline; to decay; to sink.
  12. To deteriorate in respect to vigour, activity, resources, etc.; to become weaker.
  13. To perish; to die; used of a person.
  14. To err in judgment; to be mistaken.
  15. To become unable to meet one's engagements; especially, to be unable to pay one's debts or discharge one's business obligation; to become bankrupt or insolvent.
adjective
  1. That is a failure.

Etymology 2

noun
  1. A piece of turf cut from grassland.

fair

Etymology 1

noun
  1. Something which is fair (in various senses of the adjective).
  2. A woman, a member of the ‘fair sex’; also as a collective singular, women.
  3. Fairness, beauty.
  4. A fair woman; a sweetheart.
  5. Good fortune; good luck.
verb
  1. To smoothen or even a surface (especially a connection or junction on a surface).
  2. To bring into perfect alignment (especially about rivet holes when connecting structural members).
  3. To construct or design a structure whose primary function is to produce a smooth outline or reduce air drag or water resistance.
  4. To make fair or beautiful.
adjective
  1. Beautiful, of a pleasing appearance, with a pure and fresh quality.
  2. Unblemished (figuratively or literally); clean and pure; innocent.
  3. Light in color, pale, particularly with regard to skin tone but also referring to blond hair.
  4. Just, equitable.
  5. Adequate, reasonable, or decent.
  6. (of a wind) Favorable to a ship's course.
  7. Not overcast; cloudless; clear; pleasant; propitious; said of the sky, weather, or wind, etc.
  8. Free from obstacles or hindrances; unobstructed; unencumbered; open; direct; said of a road, passage, etc.
  9. Without sudden change of direction or curvature; smooth; flowing; said of the figure of a vessel, and of surfaces, water lines, and other lines.
  10. Between the baselines.
  11. (of a catch) Taken direct from an opponent's foot, without the ball touching the ground or another player.
  12. (of a ball delivered by the bowler) Not a no-ball.
  13. Of a coin or die, having equal chance of landing on any side, unbiased.
adverb
  1. Clearly, openly, frankly, civilly, honestly, favorably, auspiciously, agreeably

Etymology 2

noun
  1. A community gathering to celebrate and exhibit local achievements.
  2. An event for public entertainment and trade, a market.
  3. An event for professionals in a trade to learn of new products and do business, a trade fair.
  4. A travelling amusement park (called a funfair in British English and a (travelling) carnival in US English).

fairly

adverb
  1. (manner) In a fair manner; fair; not biased or skewed or favouring a certain party
  2. Favorably; auspiciously; commodiously.
  3. Honestly; properly.
  4. Softly; quietly; gently.
  5. (degree) Partly, not fully; somewhat.
  6. Almost; practically.

fairy

noun
  1. The realm of faerie; enchantment, illusion.
  2. A mythical being with magical powers, known in many sizes and descriptions, although often depicted in modern illustrations only as a small sprite with gauze-like wings, and revered in some modern forms of paganism.
  3. An enchantress, or creature of overpowering charm.
  4. A male homosexual, especially one who is effeminate.
  5. A member of two species of hummingbird in the genus Heliothryx.
adjective
  1. Like a fairy; fanciful, whimsical, delicate.

fall

Etymology 1

noun
  1. The act of moving to a lower position under the effect of gravity.
  2. A reduction in quantity, pitch, etc.
  3. The time of the year when the leaves typically fall from the trees; autumn; the season of the year between the autumnal equinox and the winter solstice.
  4. A loss of greatness or status.
  5. That which falls or cascades.
  6. A crucial event or circumstance.
  7. A hairpiece for women consisting of long strands of hair on a woven backing, intended primarily to cover hair loss.
  8. Blame or punishment for a failure or misdeed.
  9. The part of the rope of a tackle to which the power is applied in hoisting (usu. plural).
  10. An old Scots unit of measure equal to six ells.
  11. A short, flexible piece of leather forming part of a bullwhip, placed between the thong and the cracker.
  12. The lid, on a piano, that covers the keyboard
verb
  1. (heading) To be moved downwards.
  2. To move downwards.
  3. To happen, to change negatively.
  4. To be allotted to; to arrive through chance, fate, or inheritance.
  5. To diminish; to lessen or lower.
  6. To bring forth.
  7. To issue forth into life; to be brought forth; said of the young of certain animals.
  8. To descend in character or reputation; to become degraded; to sink into vice, error, or sin.
  9. To become ensnared or entrapped; to be worse off than before.
  10. To assume a look of shame or disappointment; to become or appear dejected; said of the face.
  11. To happen; to come to pass; to chance or light (upon).
  12. To begin with haste, ardour, or vehemence; to rush or hurry.
  13. To be dropped or uttered carelessly.
  14. (of a fabric) To hang down (under the influence of gravity).

Etymology 2

noun
  1. The chasing of a hunted whale.

familial

adjective
  1. Of or pertaining to a human family.
  2. Of or pertaining to any grouping of things referred to as a family.
  3. Inherited.

familiar

noun
  1. An attendant spirit, often in animal or demon form.
  2. A member of one's family or household.
  3. A member of a pope's or bishop's household.
  4. A close friend.
  5. The officer of the Inquisition who arrested suspected people.
adjective
  1. Known to one, or generally known; commonplace.
  2. Acquainted.
  3. Intimate or friendly.
  4. Inappropriately intimate or friendly.
  5. Of or pertaining to a family; familial.

familiarly

No Definition Found.

family

noun
  1. A group of people who are closely related to one another (by blood, marriage or adoption); kin; for example, a set of parents and their children; an immediate family.
  2. An extended family; a group of people who are related to one another by blood or marriage.
  3. A (close-knit) group of people related by blood, friendship, marriage, law, or custom, especially if they live or work together.
  4. Lineage, especially an honorable one
  5. A rank in the classification of organisms, below order and above genus; a taxon at that rank.
  6. Any group or aggregation of things classed together as kindred or related from possessing in common characteristics which distinguish them from other things of the same order.
  7. A group of instruments having the same basic method of tone production.
  8. A group of languages believed to have descended from the same ancestral language.
  9. Used attributively.
adjective
  1. Suitable for children and adults.
  2. Conservative, traditional.
  3. Homosexual.
noun
  1. A person belonging to a particular family; a close relative or relation.

farm

Etymology 1

noun
  1. A place where agricultural and similar activities take place, especially the growing of crops or the raising of livestock.
  2. A tract of land held on lease for the purpose of cultivation.
  3. (usually in combination) A location used for an industrial purpose, having many similar structures
  4. A group of coordinated servers.
  5. Food; provisions; a meal.
  6. A banquet; feast.
  7. A fixed yearly amount (food, provisions, money, etc.) payable as rent or tax.
  8. A fixed yearly sum accepted from a person as a composition for taxes or other moneys which he is empowered to collect; also, a fixed charge imposed on a town, county, etc., in respect of a tax or taxes to be collected within its limits.
  9. The letting-out of public revenue to a ‘farmer’; the privilege of farming a tax or taxes.
  10. The body of farmers of public revenues.
  11. The condition of being let at a fixed rent; lease; a lease.
verb
  1. To work on a farm, especially in the growing and harvesting of crops.
  2. To devote (land) to farming.
  3. To grow (a particular crop).
  4. To give up to another, as an estate, a business, the revenue, etc., on condition of receiving in return a percentage of what it yields; to farm out.
  5. To lease or let for an equivalent, e.g. land for a rent; to yield the use of to proceeds.
  6. To take at a certain rent or rate.
  7. To engage in grinding (repetitive activity) in a particular area or against specific enemies for a particular drop or item.

Etymology 2

verb
  1. To cleanse; clean out; put in order; empty; empty out

filial

adjective
  1. Pertaining to or befitting a son or daughter.
  2. Respectful of the duties and attitudes of a son or daughter toward their parents.
  3. Of a generation or generations descending from a specific previous one.

filially

No Definition Found.

fill

Etymology 1

verb
  1. To occupy fully, to take up all of.
  2. To add contents to (a container, cavity or the like) so that it is full.
  3. To enter (something), making it full.
  4. To become full.
  5. To become pervaded with something.
  6. To satisfy or obey (an order, request or requirement).
  7. To install someone, or be installed, in (a position or office), eliminating a vacancy.
  8. To treat (a tooth) by adding a dental filling to it.
  9. To fill or supply fully with food; to feed; to satisfy.
  10. To trim (a yard) so that the wind blows on the after side of the sails.
  11. (of a male) To have sexual intercourse with (a female).

Etymology 2

noun
  1. (after a possessive) A sufficient or more than sufficient amount.
  2. An amount that fills a container.
  3. The filling of a container or area.
  4. Inexpensive material used to occupy empty spaces, especially in construction.
  5. Soil and/or human-created debris discovered within a cavity or cut in the layers and exposed by excavation; fill soil.
  6. An embankment, as in railroad construction, to fill a hollow or ravine; also, the place which is to be filled.
  7. A short passage, riff, or rhythmic sound that helps to keep the listener's attention during a break between the phrases of a melody.

Etymology 3

noun
  1. One of the thills or shafts of a carriage.

filly

noun
  1. A young female horse.
  2. A young attractive female.

film

noun
  1. A thin layer of some substance; a pellicle; a membranous covering, causing opacity.
  2. A medium used to capture images in a camera.
  3. A movie.
  4. Cinema; movies as a group.
  5. A slender thread, such as that of a cobweb.
verb
  1. To record (activity, or a motion picture) on photographic film.
  2. To cover or become covered with a thin skin or pellicle.

filmy

adjective
  1. Resembling or made of a thin film; gauzy
  2. Covered by (or as if by) a film; hazy

firm

Etymology 1

noun
  1. A business partnership; the name under which it trades.
  2. A business enterprise, however organized.
  3. A criminal gang, especially based around football hooliganism.

Etymology 2

verb
  1. To make firm or strong; fix securely.
  2. To make compact or resistant to pressure; solidify.
  3. To become firm; stabilise.
  4. To improve after decline.
  5. To shorten (of betting odds).
  6. To select (a higher education institution) as one's preferred choice, so as to enrol automatically if one's grades match the conditional offer.
adjective
  1. Steadfast, secure, solid (in position)
  2. Fixed (in opinion)
  3. Durable, rigid (material state)

firmly

adverb
  1. (manner) In a firm or definite or strong manner.
  2. (manner) Securely.

flail

noun
  1. A tool used for threshing, consisting of a long handle with a shorter stick attached with a short piece of chain, thong or similar material.
  2. A weapon which has the (usually spherical) striking part attached to the handle with a flexible joint such as a chain.
verb
  1. To beat using a flail or similar implement.
  2. To wave or swing vigorously
  3. To thresh.
  4. To move like a flail.

flair

noun
  1. A natural or innate talent or aptitude.
  2. Distinctive style or elegance.
  3. Smell; odor.
  4. Olfaction; sense of smell.
verb
  1. To add flair.

flay

Etymology 1

noun
  1. A fright; a scare.
  2. Fear; a source of fear; a formidable matter; a fearsome or repellent-looking individual.
verb
  1. To cause to fly; put to flight; drive off (by frightening).
  2. To frighten; scare; terrify.
  3. To be fear-stricken.

Etymology 2

verb
  1. To strip skin off
  2. To lash

flimflam

noun
  1. Nonsense.
  2. Deception.
verb
  1. To swindle or cheat.

frail

noun
  1. A basket made of rushes, used chiefly to hold figs and raisins.
  2. The quantity of fruit or other items contained in a frail.
  3. A rush for weaving baskets.
  4. A girl.
verb
  1. To play a stringed instrument, usually a banjo, by picking with the back of a fingernail.
adjective
  1. Easily broken physically; not firm or durable; liable to fail and perish
  2. Weak; infirm.
  3. Mentally fragile.
  4. Liable to fall from virtue or be led into sin; not strong against temptation; weak in resolution; unchaste.

frailly

No Definition Found.

fray

Etymology 1

verb
  1. To (cause to) unravel; used particularly for the edge of something made of cloth, or the end of a rope.
  2. To cause exhaustion, wear out (a person's mental strength).
  3. Frighten; alarm
  4. To bear the expense of; to defray.
  5. To rub.

Etymology 2

noun
  1. A fight or argument
  2. Fright.

friar

noun
  1. A member of a mendicant Christian order such as the Augustinians, Carmelites (white friars), Franciscans (grey friars) or the Dominicans (black friars).
  2. A white or pale patch on a printed page.
  3. An American fish, the silverside.

friary

noun
  1. House or dwelling where friars or members of certain religious communities live
adjective
  1. Like a friar; relating to friars or to a convent.

frill

Etymology 1

noun
  1. A strip of pleated fabric or paper used as decoration or trim.
  2. A substance or material on the edge of something, resembling such a strip of fabric.
  3. A wrinkled edge to a film.
  4. Something extraneous or not essential; something purely for show or effect; a luxury.
  5. The relatively extensive margin seen on the back of the heads of reptiles, with either a bony support or a cartilaginous one.
verb
  1. To make into a frill.
  2. To become wrinkled.
  3. To provide or decorate with a frill or frills; to turn back in crimped plaits.

Etymology 2

verb
  1. To shake or shiver as with cold (with reference to a hawk).
  2. To cry (with reference to a bird of prey).

frilly

adjective
  1. Having frills; frilled.
  2. Over-elaborate or showy in character or appearance.

iffy

adjective
  1. Of dubious authenticity, legitimacy or legality.
  2. Uncertain or chancy.

mafia

noun
  1. A hierarchically structured secret organisation engaged in illegal activities like distribution of narcotics, gambling and extortion.
  2. A crime syndicate.
  3. A trusted group of associates, as of a political leader.
  4. (in compound terms such as "moral mafia") An entity which attempts to control a specified arena.

mayfly

noun
  1. Any of the many fragile insects of the order Ephemeroptera that develop in fresh water and live very briefly as winged adults.

miff

noun
  1. A small argument; a quarrel.
  2. A state of being offended.
verb
  1. (usually used in the passive) To offend slightly.
  2. To become slightly offended.

raffia

noun
  1. A fibrous material used for tying plants, originating from the leaves of the raffia palm tree (genus Raphia).

ramify

verb
  1. To divide into branches or subdivisions.
  2. To spread or diversify into multiple fields or categories.

riff

Etymology 1

noun
  1. A repeated instrumental melody line in a song.
  2. A clever or witty remark.
  3. A variation on something.
  4. A spoof.
verb
  1. To improvise in the performance or practice of an art, especially by expanding on or making novel use of traditional themes.
  2. To riffle.

Etymology 2

noun
  1. The belly; the bowels.

riffraff

noun
  1. The rabble; crowds; the common people.
  2. Sweepings; refuse.