Today's letters are below. The center letter, D, must be in every word.
Happy Spelling Bee day! This D-centered set has a tidy mix of sharp consonants and handy vowels, so there is plenty to explore without giving anything away.
35 words · 176 points · 1 pangram
Hint 1: Word grid (first letter by word length)
How many words start with each letter, by length.
| 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | - | 6 |
| C | 1 | 3 | - | - | - | - | 4 |
| D | 4 | 1 | 3 | - | 1 | - | 9 |
| E | - | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| T | 1 | 1 | 2 | - | - | - | 4 |
| V | - | 2 | 2 | 1 | - | - | 5 |
Hint 2: Two-letter starts
AC-4 · AD-1 · AX-1 · CA-2 · CE-2 · DA-3 · DE-6 · EA-1 · EV-2 · EX-4 · TA-2 · TE-2 · VA-3 · VE-2
Hint 3: Pangram first letters
E (9 letters)
Show the pangrams
EXCAVATED
Show all 35 answers
A accede, acceded, aced, acted, added, axed
C cadet, caved, cede, ceded
D data, date, dated, dead, decade, deed, deeded, detect, detected
E eaved, evade, evaded, exacted, excavated, exceed, exceeded
T tatted, taxed, teed, texted
V vacated, vaxed, vaxxed, vetted, vexed
Pangrams are in bold.
Spelling Bee deep dive
More about today's puzzle. Everything in this section can include the answer.
Ranks and point targets
Today's puzzle is worth 176 points in total. These are the usual rank targets, worked out as a share of the total.
| Rank | Points |
|---|---|
| Beginner | 0 |
| Good Start | 4 |
| Moving Up | 9 |
| Good | 14 |
| Solid | 26 |
| Nice | 44 |
| Great | 70 |
| Amazing | 88 |
| Genius | 123 |
| Queen Bee | 176 |
Longest words (spoiler)
The longest answer is EXCAVATED, at 9 letters.
What every answer means (spoiler)
- accede: (intransitive) To agree or assent to a proposal or a view; to give way.
- acceded: (intransitive) To agree or assent to a proposal or a view; to give way.
- aced: (ambitransitive, US, informal) To defeat (others) in a contest; to outdo (others) in a competition.
- acted: (intransitive) To do something.
- added: combined or joined to increase in size or quantity or scope
- axed: Having a specified number of type of axis.
- cadet: A student at a military school who is training to be an officer.
- caved: To collapse.
- cede: (transitive) To give up; yield to another. [with to]
- ceded: (transitive) To give up; yield to another. [with to]
- data: (collective) Material recorded and known or assumed as facts and used as a basis for reasoning, d...
- date: A specific day in time at which a transaction or event takes place, or is appointed to take place...
- dated: Outdated.
- dead: (usually not comparable) No longer living; deceased. (Also used as a noun.)
- decade: A period of ten years , particularly such a period beginning with a year ending in 0 and ending w...
- deed: An action or act; something that is done.
- deeded: Transfered by deed.
- detect: To discover or find by careful search, examination, or probing.
- detected: Having been noticed.
- eaved: Having eaves (of a specified number or kind).
- evade: (transitive) To get away from by cunning; to avoid by using dexterity, subterfuge, address, or in...
- evaded: (transitive) To get away from by cunning; to avoid by using dexterity, subterfuge, address, or in...
- exacted: (ambitransitive) To demand and enforce the payment or performance of, sometimes in a forcible or ...
- excavated: (transitive) To remove part of (something) by scooping or digging it out.
- exceed: (transitive) To go beyond (some limit); to surpass; to be longer than.
- exceeded: (transitive) To go beyond (some limit); to surpass; to be longer than.
- tatted: (informal) Tattooed.
- taxed: Subject to taxation.
- teed: A surname.
- texted: (music) Accompanied by text.
- vacated: To move out of a dwelling or other property, either by choice or by eviction.
- vaxed
- vaxxed: (slang) Vaccinated.
- vetted: Having undergone an investigation and been approved.
- vexed: annoyed, irritated or distressed
Play today's Spelling Bee at The New York Times
More hints for November 2, 2026
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