Éclair what? Explaining the word Faizan Zaki spelled to win
The Scripps National Spelling Bee concluded with an exciting comeback this year, securing last year's second-place winner, Faizan Zaki, as this year's champion and making him one of only five runners-up ever to come back and win the first-place spot.
Zaki bested Sarvadnya Kadam in the 20th round to win the 2025 spelling bee on May 29 with the word éclaircissement, which he spelled without hesitation before collapsing to the floor as confetti fell, as USA TODAY reported.
Last year, Zaki was bested in a "spell-off," which entailed breaking a tie by having two contestants spell as many words accurately as possible in 90 seconds. That time, his 20 came just short of his opponent's 29. This time around, however, he secured the trophy and cash reward with a traditional moment of spelling excellence.
Zaki recognized the world and quickly and spelled it confidently. Some of us in the USA TODAY newsrooms, admittedly, could not do the same. Do you think you could have gotten the winning word? Do you know what it means or how to pronounce it?
Here's what to know.
Who won the Scripps National Spelling Bee?
Faizan Zaki, a 13-year-old Texas native, took home the winning title and $52,500 grand prize at the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee, beating out runner-up Sarvadnya Kadam. He came in second place himself in 2024, making this win a special redemption for the teen.
What does éclaircissement mean?
The winning word, éclaircissement, was one Zaki told news outlets he "instantly" recognized. While its prefix may conjure images of the chocolate-drizzled pastries known as éclairs, the term has nothing to do with sweet treats.
The French word, first used in 1667 according to Merriam-Webster, means to clear up or clarify something, or to explain or enlighten.
Using the word in a sentence, you may say something like, "The book provided an éclaircissement on the author's intentions" or "The detective's éclaircissement of the crime was crucial in solving the case."
How do you pronounce éclaircissement?
When it comes to pronunciation, hearing someone do it right tends to be the way to go, so we suggest listening to the video below if you intend to incorporate the winning spelling bee word into your daily vocabulary.
If you're more of a sounding-it-out type of person, the phonetic spelling, according to Cambridge Dictionary, is eklɛʀsismɑ̃.
What are previous winning spelling bee words?
In 2024, a tie-breaker between Zaki and the eventual winner, Bruhat Soma, entailed a lightning round in which Soma won by spelling 29 words correctly in 90 seconds, meaning there wasn't one singular winning word.
In 2023, 14-year-old Dev Shah correctly spelled psammophile, a plant or animal that lives in sandy areas, to become the 2023 champion.
In 2022, 14-year-old Harini Logan won the first-ever spell-off, again securing the title via the correct spelling of multiple words in rapid succession.
In 2021, 14-year-old Zaila Avant-garde spelled murraya, a genus of tropical trees, to win the title.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indianapolis Star
3 hours ago
- Indianapolis Star
Valerie Mahaffey, Emmy-winning 'Northern Exposure' and 'Young Sheldon' actress, dies at 71
Emmy-winning actress Valerie Mahaffey, best known for her role on the TV series "Northern Exposure," has died. She was 71. Mahaffey's publicist Jillian Roscoe confirmed to USA TODAY the actress died Friday, May 30, after a battle with cancer. Her five-decade career included performances on the Broadway stage, countless television appearances and roles in films such as "Seabiscuit," "Sully," "Jungle 2 Jungle" and "No Pay, Nudity." Mahaffey earned a supporting actress Daytime Emmy nomination in 1980 for her role in the NBC soap opera "The Doctors." In 1992, she would win a Primetime Emmy for best supporting actress in a drama series for her role as Eve in "Northern Exposure." Most recently, Mahaffey appeared in the Apple TV+ thriller "Echo 3," "The 8th Day" and the film "French Exit," for which she earned an Independent Spirit Award supporting actress nomination. 'As close as family': Loretta Swit honored by 'M*A*S*H' co-stars Alan Alda, Jamie Farr Born and raised in Indonesia until the age of 11, Mahaffey also lived in Nigeria, Texas and England. She is survived by her husband Joseph Kell and her daughter Alice. "I have lost the love of my life, and America has lost one of its most endearing actresses," her husband said in a statement. "She will be missed." Her daughter, who starred in the 2010 film "Summer Eleven," which Mahaffey produced and appeared in (Kell directed), said in a post on Instagram: "don't really have the words to say right now. cancer sucks. i'll look for you in all the fun moments of life. i know that's where you'll be💕🪽 i know we'll see each other again someday. i love you infinity much." After her regular role as Ashley Bennett on "The Doctors," Mahaffey began a steady stream of TV appearances including recurring roles as Alma Hodge, the devious ex-wife of Orson Hodge (Kyle MacLachlan) over nine episodes (2006-2007) on "Desperate Housewives," the teacher Victoria MacElroy (2017-2020) on "Young Sheldon," and on the Netflix comedy "Dead to Me," as Christina Applegate's mother-in law, Lorna Harding, for nine episodes (2019-2022). Mahaffey also had guest appearances on comedies such as "Cheers," "Seinfeld" and "Newhart." George Wendt: 'Cheers' stars Ted Danson, John Ratzenberger and Rhea Perlman pay tribute Mahaffey's early career included Broadway plays such as "Dracula," in which she performed with Raul Julia. She also won two Obie Awards for off-Broadway plays "Top Girls" at the Public Theatre and for Alan Bennett's "Talking Heads" at the Minetta Lane. Her other theater credits include playing Desdemona in "Othello" opposite Morgan Freeman, and Juliet in "Romeo and Juliet" with Tom Hulce. What's everyone talking about? Sign up for our trending newsletter to get the latest news of the day
USA Today
4 hours ago
- USA Today
Valerie Mahaffey, Emmy-winning 'Northern Exposure' and 'Young Sheldon' actress, dies at 71
Valerie Mahaffey, Emmy-winning 'Northern Exposure' and 'Young Sheldon' actress, dies at 71 Valerie Mahaffey, perhaps best known for recurring roles on "Northern Exposure," "Desperate Housewives" and "Young Sheldon," has died at age 71 from cancer. Emmy-winning actress Valerie Mahaffey, best known for her role on the TV series "Northern Exposure," has died. She was 71. Mahaffey's publicist Jillian Roscoe confirmed to USA TODAY the actress died Friday, May 30, after a battle with cancer. Her five-decade career included performances on the Broadway stage, countless television appearances and roles in films such as "Seabiscuit," "Sully," "Jungle 2 Jungle" and "No Pay, Nudity." Mahaffey earned a supporting actress Daytime Emmy nomination in 1980 for her role in the NBC soap opera "The Doctors." In 1992, she would win a Primetime Emmy for best supporting actress in a drama series for her role as Eve in "Northern Exposure." Most recently, Mahaffey appeared in the Apple TV+ thriller "Echo 3," "The 8th Day" and the film "French Exit," for which she earned an Independent Spirit Award supporting actress nomination. 'As close as family': Loretta Swit honored by 'M*A*S*H' co-stars Alan Alda, Jamie Farr Born and raised in Indonesia until the age of 11, Mahaffey also lived in Nigeria, Texas and England. She is survived by her husband Joseph Kell and her daughter Alice. "I have lost the love of my life, and America has lost one of its most endearing actresses," her husband said in a statement. "She will be missed." Her daughter, who starred in the 2010 film "Summer Eleven," which Mahaffey produced and appeared in (Kell directed), said in a post on Instagram: "don't really have the words to say right now. cancer sucks. i'll look for you in all the fun moments of life. i know that's where you'll be💕🪽 i know we'll see each other again someday. i love you infinity much." After her regular role as Ashley Bennett on "The Doctors," Mahaffey began a steady stream of TV appearances including recurring roles as Alma Hodge, the devious ex-wife of Orson Hodge (Kyle MacLachlan) over nine episodes (2006-2007) on "Desperate Housewives," the teacher Victoria MacElroy (2017-2020) on "Young Sheldon," and on the Netflix comedy "Dead to Me," as Christina Applegate's mother-in law, Lorna Harding, for nine episodes (2019-2022). Mahaffey also had guest appearances on comedies such as "Cheers," "Seinfeld" and "Newhart." George Wendt: 'Cheers' stars Ted Danson, John Ratzenberger and Rhea Perlman pay tribute Mahaffey's early career included Broadway plays such as "Dracula," in which she performed with Raul Julia. She also won two Obie Awards for off-Broadway plays "Top Girls" at the Public Theatre and for Alan Bennett's "Talking Heads" at the Minetta Lane. Her other theater credits include playing Desdemona in "Othello" opposite Morgan Freeman, and Juliet in "Romeo and Juliet" with Tom Hulce. What's everyone talking about? Sign up for our trending newsletter to get the latest news of the day Mike Snider is a reporter on USA TODAY's Trending team. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, X and email him at mikegsnider & @ & @mikesnider & msnider@
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Travis Kelce retiring? Patrick Mahomes, Greg Olsen talk TE's future
Travis Kelce has checked off all the boxes on the football field – except retirement. Everyone has an opinion on the 35-year-old, who is coming off, statistically, the worst season of his career since becoming the starter for the Kansas City Chiefs. As he authors the final pages for the story of his football career, Kelce's retirement continues to be a topic. Advertisement In an interview with USA TODAY's Mackenzie Salmon, former NFL tight end and current Fox Sports broadcaster Greg Olsen spoke about Kelce's future. "He's got the world at his fingertips," Olsen said. "I think he's one of the unique guys that's gonna be able to control how he leaves the game and when. And that's not the reality for most guys." Kelce, who will turn 36 in October, is coming off a bad season by his standards. He totaled 97 receptions, 823 yards and only three touchdowns. While that may be a career-year for some, it continued a downward trend that began following the 2023 season. Despite that reality, Olsen highlighted how he was also 36 in his last season, noting that he wasn't as productive as Kelce has been at this stage. Advertisement "He was highly productive last year," Olsen said. "I think we've kind of gotten spoiled that we think every year he's gonna have twelve-hundred yards and 10 touchdowns. And I don't think people realize just how hard that is. I wouldn't put a limit on anything he does." He added that he could call it quits after this upcoming season or play a few more years. Olsen maintained that Kelce has done enough throughout his career to be afforded the opportunity to leave when he wants to. Retirement talk has been a common theme throughout the Chiefs' run of success, especially in the lead-up to Super Bowl 59 before they lost to the Philadelphia Eagles. Now with training camp around the corner, even quarterback Patrick Mahomes is being asked about Kelce's future. Advertisement "If it's the last ride, you would never know," Mahomes said in a press conference Thursday. "The way he's talking about football, the way he's talking about working and trying to be even better this year than he was last year. He doesn't seem like a guy that, it's his last ride or he's tired of the job. He's in here, he's working. I know his body feels good. I think it feels better than even last year before going into last season. I think he's motivated to go out there and have an even better year." Kelce appeared to truly debate walking away from the game this offseason but elected to return for another season. He spoke about that decision during the March 5 episode of his "New Heights" podcast with his brother, Jason. "I think the biggest thing is that I (expletive) love playing the game of football," Kelce said. "I love playing. I still feel like I can play it at a high level and possibly at a higher level than I did last year. I don't think it was my best outing. I think I let my guys down in a lot more moments than I helped them, especially if you look at my track record and how I've been in years past. I want to give it a good run. I got a bad taste in my mouth in how I ended the year and how well I was playing and how accountable I was to the people around me." Of course, the Chiefs have played a lot of football over the years and the miles can begin to add up. Advertisement It's not out of the question that Kelce's drop in production could be attributed in part to fatigue, especially given the attention he receives from defenses every week. Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) reacts in the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX at Ceasars Superdome. All eyes will be on Kelce as he enters his 13th season NFL season and 12th as the starter, which will be the final year of his current contract. It carries a $19.8 million cap hit for 2025, according to Spotrac. Having already accomplished so much, these final years can be about chasing more rings and putting a bow on a great career. He's a three-time Super Bowl champion, a four-time All-Pro and has been selected to the Pro Bowl 10 times. He's a lock for the Hall of Fame and statistically ranks amongst the best tight ends in NFL history – No. 3 in receptions (1,004) and yards (12,151), despite playing just 11 seasons as the Chiefs primary starter at the position. Advertisement Tony Gonzalez and Jason Witten, the two who rank above Kelce in those categories, each finished their careers with 16 seasons as a starter. Off the field, Kelce is one-half of arguably the biggest celebrity couples going right now given his relationship with Taylor Swift. He has a successful podcast with his brother, helping him maintain his media presence. Retirement will continue to be a storyline on the field. Off of it, however, Kelce appears to just be getting started. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Travis Kelce retirement: Patrick Mahomes, Greg Olsen on TE future
