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
BERET · DIAL · SPOT · LIMERICK · MUMBLE · MUTTER · PEARL · WHISPER · BURN · FIGMENT · FEDORA · TURBAN · MURMUR · BEANIE · PLUMBER · FLOWER
Group 1
Hint 1: A nudge
Some of these are for warmth, others for style.
Hint 2: Narrowing it down
Each one sits above the eyebrows.
Hint 3: Nearly there
All four are recognizable kinds of hat.
Group 2
Hint 1: A nudge
All four are things you can do with your voice.
Hint 2: Narrowing it down
Someone standing right next to you might still fail to catch the words.
Hint 3: Nearly there
All four describe talking so quietly or indistinctly that listeners strain to understand.
Group 3
Hint 1: A nudge
Each of these is only half of something bigger.
Hint 2: Narrowing it down
The same short word goes in front of every one to make a common compound.
Hint 3: Nearly there
Put what rises in the east ahead of each and you get four everyday words.
Group 4
Hint 1: A nudge
On the surface these four have almost nothing in common.
Hint 2: Narrowing it down
How each word starts matters far more than what it means.
Hint 3: Nearly there
Read only the opening letters and you'll find something you could pile in a bowl on the kitchen table.