NYT Dictionary

TUATARA

/tuːəˈtɑːɹə/

NounTU-a-ta-ratu-a-ta-ra · 4 syllablesAdvanced/Professional

Accepted in official NYT Spelling Bee puzzle years: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026

Meaning

A reptile, Sphenodon punctatus, native to New Zealand, that resembles a lizard and is the only surviving specimen of the order Rhynchocephalia.

Etymology

Origin: Unknown

Borrowed from Māori tuatara.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

chameleondragonreptile

NYT Puzzle Appearances

No published puzzle dates on file for this word yet. It is part of the official NYT Spelling Bee word list for 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026.