spelling bee
noun
a spelling competition won by the individual or team spelling the greatest number of words correctly; spelldown.
spelling bees
-
pluralof spelling bee.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The crew tried to keep up morale with activities such as spelling bees or lip-syncing competitions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 5, 2026
Children across the United States have participated in spelling bees with the hopes of making it to the national contest since 1925, according to the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
From Barron's ● May 29, 2026
All spellers earned their spots as national competitors by advancing through regional spelling bees, competing against students from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S.
From Seattle Times ● May 31, 2023
Dasari says there are roughly 100,000 words in the dictionary that are appropriate for spelling bees.
From Washington Times ● May 29, 2023
When did middle schools eliminate weekly spelling bees?
From "Counting by 7s" by Holly Goldberg Sloan
