Today’s Spelling Bee puzzle was bursting with energy — quite fitting for a word like EXULTANT, which literally means “filled with joy and triumph.” The center letter was T, surrounded by L, N, X, A, U, and E. With that letter mix, I could sense it wasn’t going to be an ordinary hive.

At first glance, it seemed tricky — there was an uncommon letter (X), but also strong vowel support with A, E, and U. That usually signals that the pangram will be bold and expressive, and sure enough, it was.

 How to win NYT Spelling Bee

Step 1: Warming Up with Small Words

Every Spelling Bee journey starts with a few quick wins. I began by listing short words that included T, since that’s the mandatory letter. Within minutes, I had:

• LATE

• TALE

• TEAL

• TUNA

• TENT

• TALENT

These smaller words helped me get into rhythm and notice how often A, E, and T paired together. Seeing words like LATE and EXALT hinted that this hive could form something expressive — maybe even emotional in tone.

Step 2: Unlocking the Hidden Patterns

The letter X was the most distinctive one here, and in Spelling Bee puzzles, the presence of an uncommon consonant is usually a clue. So, I started experimenting with EX- combinations — EXALT, EXULT, EXTANT.

That’s when the magic started to unfold. The sequence EXULT stood out because it means “to rejoice or feel triumphant.” It already felt like the core of something powerful.

 Step 3: The Aha Moment

From EXULT, it didn’t take long to think of EXULTANT — a word that not only used every letter but also described exactly how I felt after finding it!

 E
 X
 U
 L
 T
 A
 N

Every letter from the hive neatly fit into place, and the word itself captured the joy of solving it — truly poetic.

 All Possible Words I Found

Here’s a breakdown of all valid words from today’s hive:

4-Letter Words

• LATE
• TEAL
• TUNA
• TENT
• TALE
• ANTE
• LENT
• TUNE
• NEXT
• AUNT
• LUTE
• NEAT
• TALL
• TAUT
• TAXA
• TEEN
• TEXT
• TUNE
• TUTU

5-Letter Words

• EXALT
• LATTE
• UNTAL
• LATEN
• EATEN
• ELATE
• LATEX
• LEANT
• NATAL
• TAUNT
• TELEX
• TENET
• TULLE
• TUTEE
• UNLET
• EXULT

6-Letter Words

• TALENT
• TUNNEL
• ATTUNE
• EXEUNT
• EXTENT
• LATENT
• LENATE
• LUTEAL
• NATANT
• NEATEN
• NETTLE
• TATTLE
• TAUTEN
• TENANT
• TUNNEL
• UNTUNE

7+ Letter Words

• EXULTANT (Pangram)
• ANTENATAL
• ANTENNA
• ATTENUATE
• ENTENTE
• EXTENUATE
• LANTANA
• LENETTE
• TATTLETALE
• TELETEXT
• TELLTALE
• TEXTUAL
• ULULATE
• UNEATEN

 What I Learned from Today’s Hive

1. Unusual letters are keys, not barriers. When you see X or Q, focus on how they combine with vowels — that’s often where the pangram hides.

2. Prefixes matter. EX- was the giveaway here. Recognizing it opened up multiple possibilities.

3. Follow emotional clues. Sometimes the “feeling” of the word aligns with the puzzle. The joy of EXULTANT mirrored the joy of solving it.

Reflection

Today’s hive was one of those perfectly crafted puzzles where everything connects logically and emotionally. From EXALT to EXULTANT, the journey felt like climbing a staircase of meaning.

The word EXULTANT also beautifully encapsulates what Spelling Bee solvers experience — that rush of triumph after spotting the perfect word hidden among hundreds of possibilities.

And there’s something poetic about how it uses every letter in harmony — no wasted parts, no random additions, just pure linguistic joy.

Wrapping Up Today’s Hive

The NYT Spelling Bee for October 16, 2025, offered a delightful mix of logic and emotion. The pangram EXULTANT wasn’t just the solution — it was a mood. It rewarded observation, intuition, and a willingness to explore unusual letter pairings.

If you’re still buzzing through today’s hive, keep experimenting with EX- words and vowel clusters — you might discover some beautiful surprises along the way.