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
CUP · BREATH · FIX · PATCH · DARN · FIRE · GLIMPSE · BARGE · COLD · CANOE · KAYAK · MEND · FRUIT · PAN · YACHT · CHEESE
Group 1
Hint 1: A nudge
All four belong somewhere wet.
Hint 2: Narrowing it down
One is paddled while kneeling, one is usually towed, and one may have sails.
Hint 3: Nearly there
Think of different vessels you might spot on a river or at a marina.
Group 2
Hint 1: A nudge
These describe an action rather than a thing.
Hint 2: Narrowing it down
Something has gone wrong, and you deal with it.
Hint 3: Nearly there
Think of a torn sock, a flat tire, or a leaky roof being made whole again.
Group 3
Hint 1: A nudge
Each of these is only half of something.
Hint 2: Narrowing it down
Stick the same short word on the end of every one and you get four familiar words.
Hint 3: Nearly there
The shared ending is the thing you put candles on at a birthday party.
Group 4
Hint 1: A nudge
One common verb links these four in everyday phrases.
Hint 2: Narrowing it down
The same verb works whether you are talking about an illness, a flame, or a fleeting look.
Hint 3: Nearly there
The verb that fits them all is also what you do with a thrown ball.