If you’ve ever played the New York Times Spelling Bee, you know how satisfying it feels to find that one word hiding in plain sight. Today’s puzzle is especially fun because the combinations are both straightforward and a little tricky. In this post, you’ll see the full word list you can make, learn some strategies to help you solve puzzles faster, and get a chance to share any words you spotted that aren’t listed here.

About Today's Spelling Bee

Today’s Spelling Bee is a great mix of short, punchy words and some surprisingly clever longer ones. With V as the required letter, this grid has a fun rhythm and a satisfying pangram to hunt for.

As always, you must use the center letter V in every word, with at least four letters per word. Letters can be repeated as often as needed.
Center letter (required): V
Other letters: R, I, T, N, G, A

Your usable set: {V, R, I, T, N, G, A}

NYT Spelling Bee Answers: 18 September 2025

Here are all the valid words that include the center letter V:

  • Vagrant
  • Vita
  • Variant
  • Granita
  • Vang
  • Vain
  • Vitae
  • Vita
  • Raving
  • Trivia
  • Giving

Pangram of the Day

Gravitating – the perfect word for today’s hive. It uses every single letter at least once and delivers that satisfying moment when you finally see it and clutch it!

Quick tactics for any puzzle

  1. Start with the center letter.
    Since every word must include it, try building short “roots” with that letter first, then expand.
  2. Play with prefixes and suffixes.
    Look for common starters (like re-, pre-, tri-) and endings (like -er, -ry, -ing). These patterns often unlock multiple words.
  3. Anagram your discoveries.
    Once you’ve found a word, shuffle its letters around — you’ll often uncover two or three more.
  4. Use repeated letters.
    Remember, the same letter can appear more than once. Doubling letters opens up words you might otherwise overlook.
  5. Hunt for pangrams.
    Try to use all seven letters at least once. Pangrams aren’t always easy, but when you find one, it feels like striking gold.

Habits to sharpen your skills

  • Begin with easy 4-letter words to get your brain moving.
  • Rotate vowels and consonants through different combinations to see what “clicks.”
  • Step away and return later — fresh eyes will catch words you missed.

Optional tools if you want extra help

  • Pen and paper. Writing the letters down or sketching patterns can reveal hidden words.
  • Word-finding apps. Great for study or practice, but use sparingly if you want to keep the challenge.
  • Personal word journal. Track words you miss often — over time, you’ll train yourself to recognize them quickly.

Wrap-Up

Today’s puzzle was all about building momentum — finding vain, then vagrant, and then stretching into longer combos until you spotted gravitating. Days like this are perfect reminders that Spelling Bee rewards both pattern recognition and patience. The more you play, the easier it becomes to spot these big words hidden in plain sight.

So — how many words did you manage to pull together today?