Four by Four hints ·
Hints for the Four by Four puzzle
Open one hint at a time for each group. Hints go from a vague nudge to nearly naming the category, and each group stays hidden until you choose to reveal it. Play this puzzle.
The sixteen words
MUSTARD · CIRRUS · LOVE · STRATUS · DASH · CARD · KEY · NIMBUS · CUMULUS · ZIP · RELISH · KETCHUP · NIL · VINEGAR · SURF · ZILCH
Group 1
Hint 1: A nudge
Weather watchers know these by name.
Hint 2: Narrowing it down
Each one describes a shape or layer seen overhead.
Hint 3: Nearly there
Latin-derived labels for what drifts across the sky.
Group 2
Hint 1: A nudge
Look at the middle of a diner table.
Hint 2: Narrowing it down
Squeezed, spooned or splashed on top.
Hint 3: Nearly there
Tangy extras for a hot dog or a plate of chips.
Group 3
Hint 1: A nudge
On their own these four have nothing in common, but none of them is finished yet.
Hint 2: Narrowing it down
Add the same short word to the end of each and you get four familiar things.
Hint 3: Nearly there
The completed words include a car part, a typing device, a packaging material and a piece of beach gear.
Group 4
Hint 1: A nudge
Scorelines and slang both make use of these.
Hint 2: Narrowing it down
Commentators announce some of them; casual conversation supplies the rest.
Hint 3: Nearly there
Each one is a stand-in for the digit that comes before one.