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
COBRA · WRENCH · SWANKY · TURTLE · WASTE · MUSSEL · NAVAL · IGUANA · BRIEF · GROWL · STAIR · PILLOW · GECKO · CROWD · SHOW · HEAL
Group 1
Hint 1: A nudge
Four of these never need a sweater.
Hint 2: Narrowing it down
Scales, shells and sunny rocks are the common thread.
Hint 3: Nearly there
Cold-blooded animals, from desert sand to open sea.
Group 2
Hint 1: A nudge
Four words here feel unfinished on their own.
Hint 2: Narrowing it down
The same four-letter tag goes on the end of each to make one word.
Hint 3: Nearly there
That shared ending can mean a container, or a matter a detective investigates.
Group 3
Hint 1: A nudge
Say these out loud and listen rather than read.
Hint 2: Narrowing it down
Each has an identical-sounding twin with a different spelling.
Hint 3: Nearly there
Those twins are all things you were born with, from head to toe.
Group 4
Hint 1: A nudge
Something small is tucked away in each of these.
Hint 2: Narrowing it down
Read straight through the letters and ignore where you think the word breaks.
Hint 3: Nearly there
Four feathered things are nesting in plain sight.