Yesterday's Keyword Answer
Stuck on today's keyword? You're in the right place. Take the hints one rung at a time, or drop straight to the keyword. Nothing spoils until you tap.
Hints, one at a time
Welcome back, puzzler. Yesterday's Keyword puzzle for Monday, November 9, 2026 is live: 6 words, each missing one letter, and those missing letters, read in order, spell the hidden keyword.
Here's how this page works: the words below already show their blanks, that's the same board you see in the game, so it's not a spoiler. The hints go from gentle to generous, so reveal them one at a time and stop the moment something clicks. The keyword itself sits in the green box further down, locked behind a tap. Nothing beyond the board reveals itself on its own, not a missing letter and not the keyword.
Board first, then the letters that fill it. Stop when the keyword surfaces.
Word 2: UNIT_ (3 choices)
Word 3: SKI_ (7 choices)
Word 4: _NEPT (1 choice)
Word 5: PIL_ (5 choices)
Word 6: _RAIN (5 choices)
Drumroll, please…
Keyword Answer for November 9
Spoiler below · tap to revealTap a word to reveal it, then flip the keyword tiles below.
About yesterday's keyword DENIED
In order: D, E, N, I, E, D, spelling DENIED.
The keyword is worth 8 points in Scrabble before any bonus squares.
Published Monday, November 9, 2026, across 6 words plus the keyword.
Keyword strategy that actually helps
Proven habits from top solvers, useful today and every day.
Each word lists how many letters could fill its blank. The ones with only one or two choices are your best foothold.
Every word already shows most of itself. Sound out what's missing before you guess a letter.
Once a few letters lock in, think of common words that match the pattern you're building.
Confirm each word still spells something real with the keyword letter you've chosen for it.
Keyword rewards efficiency, so spend a reveal only when you're truly stuck.
Once you crack one word's letter, check whether it also fits the keyword pattern you're forming.
How to play Keyword
The rules in full, for anyone arriving without them.
Keyword is a daily puzzle from The Washington Post. You are shown a set of words with one letter missing from each, and the missing letters, read in order, spell out the hidden keyword.
- 1 Read each word with its blank
Every word shows all of itself except one letter, and each blank lists which letters could legally fill it.
- 2 Start with the fewest choices
A blank with only one or two candidates is a free letter. Lock those in before touching the ambiguous ones.
- 3 Read the missing letters in order
The letters you have placed, taken top to bottom, spell the keyword. A partial pattern is often enough to guess the whole thing.
- 4 Guess the keyword with as few reveals as possible
Your score is based on how little help you needed, so a reveal spent is a point lost.
The Washington Post
Six words, each missing one letter, plus one keyword
No limit, but reveals cost you points
Midnight in your local timezone
The keyword and the six words check each other. Once you have a plausible keyword, run its letters back through the blanks and confirm every word still spells something real, which catches a wrong guess before it costs you a reveal.
Keyword, answered
Quick answers to the questions we get every day.
What time does the new Keyword puzzle come out?
Keyword resets at midnight in your local timezone, wherever you are. If the blanked words below match the board in front of you, this is the right day.
How does Keyword scoring work?
You score points based on how few letters you reveal before correctly guessing the keyword. The fewer reveals you use, the higher your score for that puzzle.
Can I play past Keyword puzzles?
The Washington Post doesn't offer an in-app archive for Keyword. Our past answers table below goes back through the keywords we have covered.
Can the keyword repeat a letter?
Yes. Each of the six words contributes exactly one missing letter, and nothing stops two of them contributing the same one, so a keyword with a doubled letter is perfectly possible. Do not rule out a candidate just because it repeats.
What's the best way to start?
Look for the word with the fewest letter choices first. Locking that letter in often narrows down the words around it too. See our strategy tips above.
Today's hints for every game
Same spoiler-safe format, for each daily puzzle we cover.
Past Keyword answers
Recent Keyword answers from the last two weeks. Use it to check a day you missed, settle an argument, or study which keywords the editors favor. Today's keyword stays blurred until you tap it.
| Date | Puzzle | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 10Today | #1 | DESIGN |
| Nov 09 | #2 | DENIED |
| Nov 08 | #3 | CANDLE |
| Nov 07 | #4 | VERSUS |
| Nov 06 | #5 | DESERT |
| Nov 05 | #6 | GALORE |
| Nov 04 | #7 | AMOUNT |
| Nov 03 | #8 | BALLOT |
| Nov 02 | #9 | ACCUSE |
| Nov 01 | #10 | RENTED |
| Oct 31 | #11 | SPIRIT |
| Oct 30 | #12 | HORROR |
| Oct 29 | #13 | POUNCE |
| Oct 28 | #14 | ARTFUL |