spelling bee

noun

: a spelling contest in which contestants are eliminated as soon as they misspell a word

Examples of spelling bee in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Lots of people vied to be spelling bee champion, played sports in school or enjoy mahjong. — Deborah Mower, The Conversation, 2 July 2026

The first spelling bee featured just nine spellers, but their legacy lives on in the millions of students who compete in spelling bee programs today, Scripps' website says. — Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 9 May 2025

Anxiety and too many stratagems like Wordle and spelling bees online to avoid actually writing. — Literary Hub, 11 Nov. 2025

An eighth-grader at Maranatha Christian School won the county spelling bee Thursday, beating his closest rival after a one-on-one face-off that lasted 13 rounds. — Jemma Stephenson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1850, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for spelling bee

• agree
• allee
• banshee
• beastly
• bibi
• bowsprit
• carefree
• cerci
• chablis
• cowpea
• crappie
• crappy

Kids Definition

spelling bee

noun

: a spelling contest in which each contestant who spells a word wrong is eliminated