NYT Spelling Bee Hints & Analysis

Tap or hover over a word to see its definition.

• acacia any of various spiny trees or shrubs of the genus Acacia
• acai
• actor a theatrical performer
• aortic of or relating to the aorta
• arco (of instruments in the violin family) to be played with the bow
• arctic extremely cold
• aromatic having a strong pleasant odor
• atomic (weapons) deriving destructive energy from the release of atomic energy
• attic of or relating to Attica or its inhabitants or to the dialect spoken in Athens in classical times
• attract be attractive to
• attractor an entertainer who attracts large audiences
• cacao tropical American tree producing cacao beans
• cacti any succulent plant of the family Cactaceae native chiefly to arid regions of the New World and usually having spines
• cami
• camo fabric dyed with splotches of green and brown and black and tan; intended to make the wearer of a garment made of this fabric hard to distinguish from the background
• carat the unit of measurement for the proportion of gold in an alloy; 18-karat gold is 75% gold; 24-karat gold is pure gold
• carom rebound after hitting
• carrot perennial plant widely cultivated as an annual in many varieties for its long conical orange edible roots; temperate and tropical regions
• cart transport something in a cart
• cataract a large waterfall; violent rush of water over a precipice
• ciao an acknowledgment that can be used to say hello or goodbye (aloha is Hawaiian and ciao is Italian)
• circa
• cirri
• citric of or related to citric acid
• coat cover or provide with a coat
• coati omnivorous mammal of Central America and South America
• coatroom a room where coats and other articles can be left temporarily
• coca a South American shrub whose leaves are chewed by natives of the Andes; a source of cocaine
• cocci any spherical or nearly spherical bacteria
• cocoa powder of ground roasted cacao beans with most of the fat removed
• coir stiff coarse fiber from the outer husk of a coconut
• coma (astronomy) the luminous cloud of particles surrounding the frozen nucleus of a comet; forms as the comet approaches the sun and is warmed
• comic arousing or provoking laughter
• comma a punctuation mark (‘,’) used to indicate the separation of elements within the grammatical structure of a sentence
• commit engage in or perform
• coot slate-black slow-flying birds somewhat resembling ducks
• cram crowd or pack to capacity
• critic someone who frequently finds fault or makes harsh and unfair judgments
• croc
• croci
• macro very large in scale or scope or capability
• maraca a percussion instrument consisting of a hollow gourd containing pebbles or beans; often played in pairs
• mica any of various minerals consisting of hydrous silicates of aluminum or potassium etc. that crystallize in forms that allow perfect cleavage into very thin leaves; used as dielectrics because of their resistance to electricity
• micro extremely small in scale or scope or capability
• mimic constituting an imitation
• morocco a soft pebble-grained leather made from goatskin; used for shoes and book bindings etc.
• motorcar a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine
• orca predatory black-and-white toothed whale with large dorsal fin; common in cold seas
• ricotta soft Italian cheese like cottage cheese
• rococo having excessive asymmetrical ornamentation
• romcom
• tacit implied by or inferred from actions or statements
• taco (ethnic slur) offensive term for a person of Mexican descent
• tact consideration in dealing with others and avoiding giving offense
• tactic a plan for attaining a particular goal
• tarmac surface with macadam
• toccata a baroque musical composition (usually for a keyboard instrument) with full chords and rapid elaborate runs in a rhythmically free style
• tomcat male cat
• toric
• tract an extended area of land
• tractor a wheeled vehicle with large wheels; used in farming and other applications
• tramcar a wheeled vehicle that runs on rails and is propelled by electricity
• tricot a knitted fabric or one resembling knitting