NYT Spelling Bee Hints

Today's Spelling Bee (February 18, 2025) offers a moderately challenging puzzle centered around the letter 'E'. With 36 valid words including one pangram, most players can expect to spend around 15-20 minutes to complete it. The game features a mix of everyday and interesting vocabulary, with several words related to actions and states. For those needing a gentle nudge in the right direction, here are some cryptic clues that might spark your imagination:

• Think of a sudden realization or "aha" moment.
• What happens when you hold your breath during sleep?
• Fencing enthusiasts know this word well.
• A common phrase: "______ to it."
• A pile of something, especially leaves.
• This word might sound like a nickname for a body part.
• Consider a reddish-brown dye.
• Flower children from the '60s.
• An African carnivorous animal with a laugh-like call.
• Energetic promotion or excessive excitement.
• A punctuation mark joining two words.
• A repetitive and boring characteristic.
• A familiar term for a belly button.
• The back part of someone's neck.
• A tide that occurs just after the first or third quarters of the moon.
• A tropical American bird with a trumpet-like call.
• A number just before ten.
• A bowling game using nine pins.
• A song of praise or triumph.
• What you might put in a window frame.
• A person to whom money is paid.
• A bird related to the peacock but smaller.
• A small hammering tool head.
• A brief, high-pitched sound.
• Italian pasta shaped like small tubes.
• A coin worth one cent.
• Describing someone who is full of energy.
• The coniferous tree, especially around Christmas.
• Having characteristics of a pine tree.
• Long, hollow tube for liquids or gases.
• A casual affirmation or agreement.
• An exclamation of surprise or excitement in cartoons.
• A joyous exclamation often heard at celebrations.
• A playful or enthusiastic exclamation.