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
ADAMANT · OUNCE · CAST · DRUM · DOGGED · SIDE · LINE · LAST · OBSTINATE · GALLON · CHOP · INCH · LIP · WILLFUL · CANDLE · ACRE
Group 1
Hint 1: A nudge
Numbers on their own don't tell you much; these finish the job.
Hint 2: Narrowing it down
Some belong to distance, some to weight, some to volume.
Hint 3: Nearly there
Think standard measures: of length, of weight, of liquid, and of land.
Group 2
Hint 1: A nudge
All four are adjectives describing a person's attitude.
Hint 2: Narrowing it down
Depending on your tone, these can read as praise for persistence or as complaints about rigidity.
Hint 3: Nearly there
They all mean refusing to give way or be persuaded — stubborn.
Group 3
Hint 1: A nudge
Each of these is waiting for the same short ending.
Hint 2: Narrowing it down
Attach the same word to all four and you get four completely different objects.
Hint 3: Nearly there
The missing piece is something slender you could hold in your hand.
Group 4
Hint 1: A nudge
Four short, common words that feel incomplete.
Hint 2: Narrowing it down
The same three letters go in front of every one of them.
Hint 3: Nearly there
What you add is the opposite of "in".