Ins & Outs: OUT-IN-OUT Words
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OUT-IN-OUT: Bee Words disallowed, allowed, then disallowed again
Total as of 2026-01-20: 22
Occasionally, a word that has not been selected for a Spelling Bee puzzle will be later selected for one or more puzzles, then at some later date will be disallowed again. Here’s the list of all such OUT-IN-OUT words; there are very few.
Each of these words was disallowed at least once before being selected at least once, then being disallowed again.
In the lists below, the numeric code indicates the number of times a word was disallowed, followed by the number of times it was allowed, followed by an "x" representing all subsequent disallowed uses. Thus, the code 7 / 2 / x means that a word had been disallowed from seven Bee puzzles, then selected for two puzzles, then disallowed again at some point and disallowed from all future puzzles. There is no need to track numbers of subsequent disallowed uses unless the word is later allowed again, in which case the word and its data are moved to a different list.
Two lists follow, the first showing the OUT-IN-OUT words arranged in descending order by the number of times they had been OUT before they had been IN; the second list is in simple alphabetical order. These words are included in the list of All Discontinued Bee words.
Occasionally, a word that has not been selected for a Spelling Bee puzzle will be later selected for one or more puzzles, then at some later date will be disallowed again. Here’s the list of all such OUT-IN-OUT words; there are very few.
Each of these words was disallowed at least once before being selected at least once, then being disallowed again.
In the lists below, the numeric code indicates the number of times a word was disallowed, followed by the number of times it was allowed, followed by an "x" representing all subsequent disallowed uses. Thus, the code 7 / 2 / x means that a word had been disallowed from seven Bee puzzles, then selected for two puzzles, then disallowed again at some point and disallowed from all future puzzles. There is no need to track numbers of subsequent disallowed uses unless the word is later allowed again, in which case the word and its data are moved to a different list.
Two lists follow, the first showing the OUT-IN-OUT words arranged in descending order by the number of times they had been OUT before they had been IN; the second list is in simple alphabetical order. These words are included in the list of All Discontinued Bee words.
RANKED BY NUMBER OF INITIAL REJECTIONS
WORD OUT-IN-OUTALFA* 63 / 1 / x
APIARIAN* 7 / 2 / xINCENT* 4 / 3 / x
CHANTY* 3 / 2 / xCROG* 3 / 1 / xMINYAN* 3 / 7 / x
ACIDHEAD 2 / 1 / xABETTAL* 2 / 2 / xFECULENCE* 2 / 1 / xGALENA* 2 / 4 / xINTROIT* 2 / 3 / x
KROON 2 / 1 / xPROPANOL* 2 / 1 / xVACAY* 2 / 2 / xALARUM* 1 / 3 / xBETHEL* 1 / 1 / xGAMELAN* 1 / 1 / xGLIAL* 1 / 6 / x
TAILFIN 1 / 4 / xNONILLIONTH* 1 / 3 / xPECCANT* 1 / 3 / xYEAN* 1 / 10 / x
IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER BY BEE WORD
WORD OUT-IN-OUTABETTAL* 2 / 2 / x
ACIDHEAD 2 / 1 / x
ALARUM* 1 / 3 / x
ALFA* 63 / 1 / xAPIARIAN* 7 / 2 / xBETHEL* 1 / 1 / x
CHANTY* 3 / 2 / xCROG* 3 / 1 / xFECULENCE* 2 / 1 / xGALENA* 2 / 4 / xGAMELAN* 1 / 1 / xGLIAL* 1 / 6 / xINCENT* 4 / 3 / xINTROIT* 2 / 3 / x
KROON 2 / 1 / xMINYAN* 3 / 7 / xNONILLIONTH* 1 / 3 / xPECCANT* 1 / 3 / xPROPANOL* 2 / 1 / x
TAILFIN 1 / 4 / xVACAY* 2 / 2 / xYEAN* 1 / 10 / x