Can you solve this crossword puzzle from the Scripps National Spelling Bee?

Do you love the challenge of a good crossword puzzle? Do you also consider yourself to be a logophile?

The Scripps National Spelling Bee has developed an interactive crossword puzzle as an engaging way to test your spelling and vocabulary skills, and you can give it a go right now.

The Scripps National Spelling Bee 2021 competition started with 209 spellers. The first three qualifying rounds of the national competition were conducted virtually. Eleven finalists between the ages of 10-14 will compete on Thursday, July 8, at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Florida, and broadcast on ESPN2.

Along with the partially virtual format, this year’s Bee introduced a word meaning component to its competition. This additional challenge was developed to promote the program’s focus on word knowledge and literacy. Although vocabulary questions have been used in written tests in the past, this is the first time a word meaning component has been part of the finals.

In advance of the finals, the Bee has released a crossword puzzle that uses some Bee study words. The puzzle, titled “Around the World,” was developed by New York Times crossword contributor Chandi Deitmer and you can take a shot at completing it right now on the Bee website. It features 80 clues and answers and is a fitting complement to the word-meaning component of this year’s Bee.

Before the crossword was published for the public, it was provided to spellers through a sweepstake in which 10 who submitted a completed puzzle were randomly drawn and selected to win Bee-themed prize packs.

Now it’s your turn to test your skills on the Bee crossword. Good luck and don’t forget to tune in for the finals on July 8!

Simplemost and the Scripps National Spelling Bee share a parent company.