Tuesday, May 17, 2022

Answers to yesterday's bee


The official answers for today's puzzle are:

  • aback
  • alack
  • alkali
  • babka
  • back
  • backfill
  • balalaika
  • balk
  • bilk
  • black
  • blackball
  • callback
  • clack
  • click
  • fallback
  • flack
  • flak
  • flick
  • kick
  • kickback
  • kickball
  • kill
  • lack
  • lick


Number of Pangrams: 1

Maximum Puzzle Score: 119

Number of Answers: 24

Points Needed for Genius: 83

Genius requires between 11 and 21 words. You need at least a 8-letter word to reach genius. If you don't get the pangram, you need 80% of the total points to reach genius. If you get the pangram, you only need 65% of the remaining points to reach genius.

Other days with this pangram:

  • January 19, 2021 (Center Letter: I)


  • How does this puzzle compare to other puzzles?

    Today's score of 119 was in the 31st percentile of all puzzles.
    The last time there was a score this low was on May 6, 2022.
    The highest score ever was 537 on January 22, 2021.
    The lowest score ever was 50 on May 17, 2019.

    This puzzle's 24 possible answers rank it in the 12th percentile of all puzzles.
    The last time there were fewer answers than this was on May 6, 2022.
    The highest number of answers was 81 on June 8, 2019.
    The lowest number of answers was 18 on May 1, 2022.

    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

    • loll 123
    • noon 123
    • toot 114
    • naan 102
    • nana 102
    • lilt 91
    • till 91
    • tilt 91
    • tint 77
    • dodo 72
    • mama 72
    • mamma 72
    • onto 71
    • ratatat 71
    • tart 71
    • tartar 71
    • toon 71
    • attar 70
    • anal 68
    • array 68
    • nene 68
    • olio 68
    • call 67
    • calla 67
    • loon 67
    • lull 67
    • lulu 67
    • tatty 67
    • mono 64
    • moon 64
    • root 64
    • rotor 64
    • toro 64
    • tort 64
    • trot 64
    • allay 63
    • ally 63
    • loot 63
    • lotto 63
    • radar 63
    • toll 63
    • tool 63
    • boob 62
    • booboo 62
    • loom 62
    • moll 62
    • papa 62
    • poop 62
    • tact 62
    • tall 61


    Valid dictionary words not in today's official answers

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

    • abaka
    • alfaki
    • alkalic
    • alliak
    • calk
    • filk
    • ilka
    • kabab
    • kabaka
    • kabala
    • kabbala
    • kabiki
    • kaiak
    • kaif
    • kail
    • kaka
    • kaki
    • kalif
    • kiack
    • kibbi
    • kibla
    • killick
    • klick
    • klik

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