Monday, May 8, 2023

Answers to yesterday's bee


The official answers for today's puzzle are:

  • abaci
  • aback
  • acacia
  • acai
  • alack
  • bacilli
  • back
  • backfill
  • biblical
  • black
  • blackball
  • cabal
  • cabala
  • calf
  • call
  • calla
  • callback
  • cilia
  • clack
  • click
  • cliff
  • facial
  • fallback
  • flack
  • flick
  • iliac
  • kick
  • kickback
  • kickball
  • lack
  • laic
  • laical
  • lick
  • lilac


Number of Pangrams: 1

Maximum Puzzle Score: 173

Number of Answers: 34

Points Needed for Genius: 121

Genius requires between 18 and 29 words. You need at least a 8-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:

  • May 17, 2022 (Center Letter: K)
  • January 19, 2021 (Center Letter: I)



    • How does this puzzle compare to other puzzles?

    Today's score of 173 was in the 58th percentile of all puzzles.
    The last time there was a score this high was on May 6, 2023.
    The highest score ever was 537 on January 22, 2021.
    The lowest score ever was 47 on March 27, 2023.

    This puzzle's 34 possible answers rank it in the 42nd percentile of all puzzles.
    The last time there were fewer answers than this was on May 6, 2023.
    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 8-letter word for genius. This is pretty common.



    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 143
    • loll 142
    • toot 132
    • naan 120
    • nana 120
    • lilt 107
    • till 107
    • tilt 107
    • mama 90
    • mamma 90
    • tint 90
    • nene 85
    • acacia 84
    • acai 84
    • dodo 83
    • lull 83
    • lulu 83
    • onto 83
    • toon 83
    • call 82
    • calla 82
    • poop 81
    • boob 80
    • booboo 80
    • tatty 80
    • allay 77
    • ally 77
    • array 77
    • mitt 77
    • olio 77
    • papa 77
    • anal 76
    • anon 76
    • radar 76
    • ratatat 76
    • tart 76
    • tartar 76
    • attar 75
    • mono 74
    • moon 74
    • loom 73
    • loon 73
    • moll 73
    • onion 73
    • baba 72
    • itty 71
    • tact 71
    • nanny 70
    • coot 69
    • epee 69


    Valid dictionary words not in today's official answers

    You may be wondering why these words aren't here*:

    • abaca
    • alcaic
    • alkalic
    • bacca
    • baccala
    • bifacial
    • cabbala
    • caca
    • caff
    • calcic
    • calcific
    • calif
    • calk
    • cicala
    • facia
    • flic
    • kiack
    • killick
    • klick

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