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
ORANGE · NIGHT · FIRST · TOO · ASHAMED · GRAPEFRUIT · PLUMBER · PIT · ATE · TANGERINE · LEMON · PALMISTRY · FOR · DOWN · WON · WIND
Group 1
Hint 1: A nudge
These four could all end up in the same bowl.
Hint 2: Narrowing it down
A market stall would pile these together, though some are far sweeter than others.
Hint 3: Nearly there
Four tangy fruits from the same family, often squeezed for juice at breakfast.
Group 2
Hint 1: A nudge
Each of these is a fine word alone, but it is waiting for company.
Hint 2: Narrowing it down
Add the very same four-letter ending to all four and you get familiar compound words.
Hint 3: Nearly there
The finished words include one meaning a sudden stroke of luck, one meaning a hidden trap, and one meaning dusk.
Group 3
Hint 1: A nudge
Read these aloud instead of staring at the spelling.
Hint 2: Narrowing it down
Sound and spelling pull in opposite directions in this group.
Hint 3: Nearly there
Each one sounds exactly like a small counting number.
Group 4
Hint 1: A nudge
The surface meanings of these have nothing whatsoever in common.
Hint 2: Narrowing it down
Look for a shorter word sitting inside each one, reading left to right.
Hint 3: Nearly there
Each conceals something tall and leafy that grows from the ground.