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
CARROT · SEESAW · BRAIN · PROFILE · RADISH · HAIL · TURNIP · ODD · FIRE · BEET · BIZARRE · QUIRKY · RELAXED · SERVICE · WEIRD · SAND
Group 1
Hint 1: A nudge
Think about what grows in the cooler part of a garden plot.
Hint 2: Narrowing it down
These are pulled up rather than picked off a branch.
Hint 3: Nearly there
Earthy and often chopped into stews, they develop below the soil.
Group 2
Hint 1: A nudge
Four of these words mean roughly the same thing.
Hint 2: Narrowing it down
They describe something that does not fit the usual pattern.
Hint 3: Nearly there
Each one means unusual, offbeat or peculiar.
Group 3
Hint 1: A nudge
Each of these takes the same partner, and it goes on the end.
Hint 2: Narrowing it down
Added together with that partner, each makes one familiar compound word.
Hint 3: Nearly there
The shared ending names a violent weather event.
Group 4
Hint 1: A nudge
Ignore what these words mean and look at their letters.
Hint 2: Narrowing it down
Each one conceals a shorter word inside a run of consecutive letters.
Hint 3: Nearly there
Something you would find on a workbench is buried in every one.