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Thursday, January 8, 2026

Welcome to today’s New York Times Spelling Bee hints and answers. Today’s puzzle features a substantially larger than average board today, promising plenty of opportunities with a center letter of “A”. With a total of 64 words to find resulting in 299 total possible points, we are looking at a massively high scoring ceiling. There is just a single pangram hiding in today’s letter set. Whether you’re stuck looking for those elusive final few words to reach Genius rank, or simply seeking a gentle nudge to get the ball rolling, you’re in the right place. Dive into our comprehensive two-letter lists, explore our word length grid, and uncover targeted Merriam-Webster definitions tailored specifically to help you without giving the entire game away immediately. Good luck mastering the hive!

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Puzzle Stats

Total Words :

64

Total Pangrams :

1

Total Points:

299

Genius Score :

209

Pangram

Finding the nyt pangram is key to reaching “Genius” status.
Below is progressive reveal to help you achieve it.

7-letter pangram 0 / 7 letters revealed
???????

NYT Spelling Bee Hints & Grid

Maximize your score without ruining the fun.

The grid shows how many words start with each letter, broken down by word length.

4 5 6 7 8 9 Σ
A 2 5 1 8
D 5 2 3 2 12
E 1 1 2
I 2 1 2 1 1 7
M 8 7 5 1 3 1 25
T 3 2 3 1 1 10
Σ 20 17 12 7 6 2 64

Knowing the first two letters of a missing word is often the perfect clue. Here is the two letter list for today’s puzzle.

  • AD 3
  • AI 3
  • AM 2
  • DA 8
  • DE 2
  • DI 1
  • DY 1
  • ED 2
  • ID 3
  • IM 4
  • MA 14
  • ME 10
  • MI 1
  • TA 5
  • TE 5

Dictionary Clues for Todays List.

AD

  1. AD5 — resulting in an increase in amount or number; additional; another; else; farther sounds like acid, arid, avid, dud, p*****
  2. AD5 — to accept the truth or existence of (something) usually reluctantly; to offer entrance (as to a place, school, or privilege) to; to make an acknowledgment of something unpleasant as true or valid; acknowledge; agree sounds like acquit
  3. AD8 — to accept the truth or existence of (something) usually reluctantly; to offer entrance (as to a place, school, or privilege) to; to make an acknowledgment of something unpleasant as true or valid; acknowledged; agreed sounds like committed, permitted

AI

  1. AI4 — a person who helps a more skilled person; adjunct; adjutant; aid; apprentice sounds like ace, ache, add, age, aged
  2. AI5 — to provide (someone) with what is useful or necessary to achieve an end; abetted; assisted; backed; backstopped sounds like added, dud, faded, jaded
  3. AI5 — to point or turn (something) toward a target or goal; to have in mind as a purpose or goal; bent; cast; directed sounds like aged, famed, m*****, named

AM

  1. AM4 — in or into the middle of; in the course of; among; mid; midst
  2. AM5 — kindly concern, interest, or support; benevolence; brotherhood; charity; cordiality sounds like ante, city, committee, ditty, emit

DA

  1. DA5 — a male human parent; something belonging to an earlier time from which something else was later developed; dad; father; old man sounds like dowdy, paddy
  2. DA4 — a dignified usually elderly woman of some rank or authority; a woman of high birth or social position; dowager; grande dame; matriarch sounds like aim, came, deem
  3. DA6 — as in blocked, clogged; blocked; choked; clogged; closed sounds like domed, doomed, jammed
  4. DA6sounds like admit, amity, commit
  5. DA4 — a collection of factual knowledge about something; facts; information sounds like donna, dot, dotted
  6. DA4 — an agreement to be present at a specified time and place; the period during which something exists, lasts, or is in progress; appointment; assignation; engagement sounds like ate, bait, debt, dirt, dot
  7. DA5 — having passed its time of use or usefulness; antiquated; archaic; démodé; demoded sounds like bated, weighted
  8. DA7 — the hours of light between one night and the next; day; daylight sounds like airtime, dime, downtime, time

DE

  1. DE4 — no longer living; lacking in gaiety, movement, or animation; depleted in strength, energy, or freshness; asleep; breathless sounds like bed, dad, dare
  2. DE7

DI

  1. DI6 — a decorative band or wreath worn about the head as a symbol of victory or honor; chaplet; coronal; coronet; crown sounds like cadet, condemn

DY

  1. DY4 — two things of the same or similar kind that match or are considered together; brace; couple; couplet; duo sounds like dial, diet, dud

ED

  1. ED7sounds like dam, damage, dammed, damn, damned
  2. ED5sounds like deem, demon, diva, idea, idiom

ID

  1. ID4 — something imagined or pictured in the mind; someone of such unequaled perfection as to deserve imitation; something that one hopes or intends to accomplish; abstraction; cogitation
  2. ID6 — to form a mental picture of; conceit; conceive; conjure (up); dream sounds like edit, eyelet
  3. ID7 — to form a mental picture of; conceited; conceived; conjured (up); dreamed sounds like dotted

IM

  1. IM4sounds like mom
  2. IM7 — to use (someone or something) as the model for one’s speech, mannerisms, or behavior; to copy or exaggerate (someone or something) in order to make fun of; to make an exact likeness of; ape; copy sounds like acetate, agitate, annotate, emanate, estate
  3. IM8 — to use (someone or something) as the model for one’s speech, mannerisms, or behavior; to copy or exaggerate (someone or something) in order to make fun of; to make an exact likeness of; aped; copied sounds like irritated
  4. IM9 — done or occurring without any noticeable lapse in time; done or working without something else coming in between; done, carried out, or given without delay; instant; instantaneous sounds like idiot, median, mediate, medium, remedial

MA

  1. MA5 — the female partner in a marriage; helpmate; helpmeet; lady; missus sounds like modem
  2. MA6 — as in madam; madam; bawd; call girl; cocotte sounds like dada, model, modem, modern, mom
  3. MA4 — to bring into being by combining, shaping, or transforming materials; to obtain (as a goal) through effort; to be the cause of (a situation, action, or state of mind); fabricated; fashioned sounds like aid, aide, bade, fade, jade
  4. MA4 — a female domestic servant; a young unmarried woman; biddy; char; charwoman sounds like aid, aide, bade, fade, jade
  5. MA4 — to cause severe or permanent injury to; cripple; disable; incapacitate; lame sounds like aim, came, dame, fame, game
  6. MA6 — as in disabled, mutilated; disabled; mutilated; paralytic; paralyzed sounds like famed, named
  7. MA4 — a female human parent; ma; mammy; mater; mom sounds like comma, mom
  8. MA5 — a female human parent; ma; mammy; mater; mom sounds like comma, mom
  9. MA4 — either of a pair matched in one or more qualities; a person frequently seen in the company of another; a person who helps a more skilled person; companion; fellow sounds like ate, bait, date, eight, fate
  10. MA5 — as in paired; as in matched, espoused; paired; binary; bipartite sounds like rated
  11. MA5 — having or showing kindly feeling and sincere interest; amicable; bonhomous; buddy-buddy; chummy sounds like eighty, meaty, mighty, weighty
  12. MA5 — lacking a surface luster or gloss; dim; dull; dulled; flat sounds like bat, cat, chat, fat, hat
  13. MA6 — as in dimmed; as in squeezed, crushed; dimmed; brightened; lightened sounds like acid, added, arid, atom, avid
  14. MA6sounds like heyday, melee, payday

ME

  1. ME4 — as in wine, sake; sake; wine; alcohol; aqua vitae sounds like bead, cede, deed, feed, heed
  2. ME4 — animal and especially mammal tissue used as food; substances intended to be eaten; the central part or aspect of something under consideration; flesh; bread sounds like beat, beet, cheat, eat, feat
  3. ME5 — as in substantial; substantial; abbreviated; abridged; condensed sounds like mighty
  4. ME5 — a middle point between extremes; something used to achieve an end; the circumstances, conditions, or objects by which one is surrounded; golden means; means
  5. ME7 — occupying a position equally distant from the ends or extremes; central; halfway; intermediary; intermediate
  6. ME8 — to act as a go-between for opposing sides; interceded; intermediated; interposed; intervened sounds like radiated
  7. ME8 — to give serious and careful thought to; to have in mind as a purpose or goal; chew over; cogitate; consider sounds like dedicate, hesitate, marinate
  8. ME9 — to give serious and careful thought to; to have in mind as a purpose or goal; chewed over; cogitated; considered sounds like dedicated
  9. ME4
  10. ME8sounds like commodity, macabre, magenta, maternity, mulatto

MI

  1. MI6 — the middle of the day; high noon; lunch time; noon; noonday

TA

  1. TA4 — changed from the wild state so as to become useful and obedient to humans; causing weariness, restlessness, or lack of interest; domestic; domesticated; tamed sounds like aim, came, dame, fame, game
  2. TA5 — changed from the wild state so as to become useful and obedient to humans; domestic; domesticated; tame sounds like famed, maimed, named, timed
  3. TA6sounds like anatomy, atom, balmy, battery, catty
  4. TA6
  5. TA5 — showing signs of advanced wear and tear and neglect; beat-up; bombed-out; dilapidated; dog-eared sounds like catty, chatty, fatty, natty, patty

TE

  1. TE4 — a group of people working together on a task; army; band; brigade; company sounds like beam, deem, ream, seam, seem
  2. TE6 — as in joined, leagued; affiliated; allied; attached; banded sounds like themed, tiered, timed
  3. TE8 — a person who is on the same team as someone else; classmate; housemate; messmate; playfellow sounds like automate, cremate, female, inmate, mate
  4. TE4sounds like beat, beet, cheat, eat, feat
  5. TE7sounds like airtime, anytime, daytime, mealtime, meantime

The Complete Word List (Spoiler Alert!)

Ready to see the words? Use the toggles below to reveal today’s nyt spelling bee answers.

  • aide
  • amid
  • dame
  • data
  • date
  • dead
  • dyad
  • idea
  • imam
  • made
  • maid
  • maim
  • mama
  • mate
  • mead
  • meat
  • meta
  • tame
  • team
  • teat

  • added
  • admit
  • admitted
  • aided
  • aimed
  • amity
  • daddy
  • dammed
  • dammit
  • dated
  • daytime
  • deadeye
  • diadem
  • edamame
  • edema
  • ideate
  • ideated
  • imitate
  • imitated
  • immediate
  • madam
  • madame
  • maimed
  • mamma
  • mated
  • matey
  • matte
  • matted
  • mayday
  • meaty
  • media
  • mediate
  • mediated
  • meditate
  • meditated
  • metadata
  • midday
  • tamed
  • tatami
  • tatted
  • tatty
  • teamed
  • teammate
  • teatime

Valid dictionary words not in today’s official answers

Today’s puzzle have total of 80 valid dictionary words that are excluded. If you found a valid dictionary word that wasn’t accepted, it’s likely due to the New York Times Spelling Bee’s strict editorial criteria. Sam Ezersky, the puzzle’s editor, manually curates the daily word list to balance difficulty and fairness.

  • Obscure or Highly Technical Words: Medical, legal, and intensely specific scientific jargon is frequently omitted to keep the puzzle accessible to a general audience.
  • Offensive Language: Vulgar or derogatory words are universally banned.
  • Proper Nouns: Capitalized names of people or places are never allowed.
  • Hyphenated Words: Multi-word combinations containing hyphens are excluded.
  • Letter S / Plurals: The letter “S” is generally never included on a Spelling Bee board to avoid making the game too simple by tacking plurals onto every word.

  • ADDEEM
  • ADDEEMED
  • ADDY
  • ADEEM
  • ADEEMED
  • ADIT
  • ADMITTEE
  • ADYTA
  • AIDA
  • AMATE
  • AMATED
  • AMIA
  • AMIDE
  • AMIE
  • ATAATA
  • ATIMY
  • ATMA
  • DADA
  • DADDED
  • DAMME
  • DEADED
  • DIADEMED
  • DIAMIDE
  • DIMIDIATE
  • DIMIDIATED
  • DITA
  • DITTAY
  • DIYA
  • EDEMATA
  • EMMA
  • ETAT
  • ETYMA
  • IDEAED
  • IDEATA
  • IMAMATE
  • MAAED
  • MADAMED
  • MADDED
  • MADID
  • MAIDED
  • MAMEE
  • MAMEY
  • MAMIE
  • MAMMAE
  • MAMMATE
  • MAMMATI
  • MAMMEE
  • MAMMET
  • MAMMEY
  • MAMMIE
  • MAMMY
  • MATAI
  • MATAMATA
  • MATATA
  • MATT
  • MATTIE
  • MATY
  • MAYA
  • MAYED
  • MEATED
  • MEDIAD
  • MEDIAE
  • METATE
  • TAATA
  • TADDIE
  • TAED
  • TAIT
  • TAMMIE
  • TAMMIED
  • TAMMY
  • TATE
  • TATIE
  • TATT
  • TATTIE
  • TEAD
  • TEADE
  • TEAED
  • TEATED
  • YATE
  • YEAD