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
BENCH · CHAIR · TYPEWRITER · REBUKE · BERATE · PLY · SCOLD · SANDAL · PUPPET · DRIFT · COUCH · POTTERY · CHIDE · STOOL · QUIET · DOG
Group 1
Hint 1: A nudge
All four invite you to take a load off.
Hint 2: Narrowing it down
You might find these in a park, at a bar, or in a living room.
Hint 3: Nearly there
Each one is a piece of furniture made for resting your legs.
Group 2
Hint 1: A nudge
Nobody enjoys being on the receiving end of these.
Hint 2: Narrowing it down
A stern talking-to, expressed as an action.
Hint 3: Nearly there
Each means to tell someone off sharply for doing wrong.
Group 3
Hint 1: A nudge
These four feel unfinished on their own.
Hint 2: Narrowing it down
Each takes the same short addition at the end to become a single everyday word.
Hint 3: Nearly there
The thing you add to each one comes from a tree trunk.
Group 4
Hint 1: A nudge
Their meanings have nothing in common, so look at the letters.
Hint 2: Narrowing it down
You would notice the shared quirk while typing them out.
Hint 3: Nearly there
Every letter in these four sits on the uppermost letter row of a standard keyboard.