- Letters: T/ADEIMV
- Words: 68
- Points: 346
- Pangrams: 1
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The table provides clues for the roots of words in today's NY Times Spelling Bee. You're responsible for prefixes, suffixes,
tense changes, plurals, doubling consonants before suffixes, and alternate spellings of roots. An exception:
since Sam won't allow S, when the root contains an S, the clue may be for a plural or suffixed form. "Mice" for example.
If a clue isn't self-explanatory, try googling it.
The TL;DR about the site comes after the table.
Past clues are available here |
Today's puzzle
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Table content
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| answers covered | answer's first two letters | answer's length | clue for root (answer may need prefix, suffix, tense change, alt spelling, ...) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AD | 8 | Math operation with plus (+) symbol, or new rooms that expand a house |
| 2 | AD | 5,8 | Fess up, or let in, gerund form is a pangram |
| 2 | AV | 6,7 | Pilot or fly in a plane, verb (from Latin for bird) |
| 1 | DA | 6 | Slang exclamation of frustration (“… Janet” song in “Rocky Horror”); should have an N instead of a doubled central consonant; compound; condemn something to hell |
| 1 | DA | 4 | Facts & stats, computer info, or Star Trek Next Gen android |
| 2 | DA | 4,5 | June 12, 2021, e.g., noun; or see someone romantically, verb |
| 1 | DA | 6 | In languages with noun declension (German for example), a case indicating an indirect object or recipient |
| 2 | DE | 5,8 | Obscure word meaning resign from an office or position |
| 2 | DE | 7,8 | Depart from the norm, noun form is a pangram |
| 2 | DI | 4,6 | Limit your food intake, verb/noun |
| 2 | ED | 4,6 | Revise text |
| 2 | EM | 4,7 | Give off (radiation, signals) |
| 2 | ID | 6,7 | Thought or suggestion (here’s a new …), noun |
| 3 | IM | 7,8,9 | Copy someone’s speech or mannerisms |
| 1 | IM | 9 | Occurring right this instant (… gratification); or nearest in relation (only … family allowed), adj. |
| 1 | IT | 4 | One thing as part of a set, 10 or fewer of these at an express register |
| 1 | MA | 6 | Tangle something, especially hair, in a thick mass, verb (the present tense is too short to be a Bee word) |
| 2 | MA | 4,5 | Fellow member (cast-…) or joint occupant (room-…) |
| 1 | MA | 5 | Dull finish on paint or photos |
| 1 | ME | 4 | Animal flesh for consumption (beef, ham, etc.) |
| 2 | ME | 7,8 | Intervene between people in a dispute; arbitrate |
| 3 | ME | 8,9,10 | Think deeply (while doing yoga & chanting “Om”?) |
| 1 | ME | 4 | Encounter (I’m supposed to … him in the park) |
| 1 | ME | 4 | Beyond prefix, greek |
| 1 | ME | 8 | Info about a computer file (author, size, when it was created, etc.), compound noun |
| 2 | ME | 4,5 | Dispense justice (“… out punishment”), homophone of “animal flesh for consumption” |
| 1 | MI | 4 | Tiny tick, or very small amount (I'm a … testy today) |
| 1 | MI | 4 | Catcher’s glove, or Sen. Romney |
| 2 | TA | 4,5 | Not wild, adj./verb |
| 1 | TA | 6 | Make lace |
| 1 | TA | 6 | Japanese & dojo floor mats (畳) |
| 2 | TE | 4,6 | Group of sports players (Yankees, e.g.), noun; … up, verb |
| 1 | TE | 8 | A fellow player in the same group, compound |
| 1 | TE | 4 | Nipple |
| 1 | TE | 7 | Britspeak for the early afternoon hour when you serve a steeped beverage, compound (NOT a golf reservation) |
| 1 | TE | 4 | Short stick that holds up a golf ball, noun/verb |
| 2 | TE | 4,6 | Be full or swarming with; homophone of Yankees group |
| 2 | TI | 4,5 | Ocean ebb & flow at the beach, or laundry soap brand |
| 1 | TI | 6 | Neatly arranged, adj.; or neaten up, verb |
| 1 | TI | 4 | Fasten with string or cord, verb/noun |
| 2 | TI | 4,5 | What clocks measure & display |
| 1 | TI | 5 | Lacking courage or confidence, adj. (… as a mouse) |
| 2 | TI | 8,9 | Spiff up (clothing or appearance), obscure verb |
| 1 | VE | 6 | Person with combat experience, noun; check credentials, verb |
| 2 | VI | 7,8 | Formal, obscure verb meaning spoil or impair; or legal term meaning destroy or annul the force & effect of an act or instrument; (also Star Wars Sith Emperor Tenebrae) |
This site provides clues for a day's New York Times Spelling Bee puzzle. It follows in Kevin Davis' footsteps. The original set of 4,500 clues came from him, and they still make up about three quarters of the current clue set.
The "Bee Roots" approach is to provide explicit clues for root words, not every word. As logophiles, we are pretty good at putting on prefixes and suffixes, changing tense, and forming plurals (including Latin plurals!). The clues cover root words, arranged alphabetically by root word, with a count of words in the puzzle that come from each root. For example, if a puzzle includes ROAM and ROAMING, there will be a clue for ROAM and a count of 2. The root may not appear in the puzzle at all; for example, the 2021-07-23 Bee included ICED, DEICE, and DEICED. For such a puzzle, the clue would be for ICE with a word count of 3.
The Bee Roots approach involves judgement sometimes. For example, if a puzzle includes LOVE, LOVED, and LOVELY, how many roots are needed to cover them? LOVE and LOVED share the root LOVE, certainly, but LOVELY is tricky. LOVE is part of its etymology, but by now, the word means "exquisitely beautiful," which is a lot farther from the meaning of LOVE than swithcing to past tense. I'm inclined to treat LOVE and LOVELY as separate roots. You may not agree, which is fine. Another thing we logophiles share is a LOVE of arguing about words on Twitter.
A few words can have one meaning as a suffixed form and another as a stand-alone word. EVENING, for example. In those cases I will use the meaning that I think is more common.
One last complication, until another one pops up: a few roots have multiple spellings, for example LOLLYGAG and LALLYGAG. Depending on the day's letters, and maybe even the editor's whims, one or both could be in the puzzle's answer list. With such roots, you could see a word count of 2, even if there are no applicable prefixes or suffixes.
I will do my best to keep this site up to date and helpful (I hope). Check it out, and tweet feedback to @donswartwout Tweet to @donswartwout