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
LONG · REGGAE · JAZZ · TECHNO · SNOOZE · CROSS · DEW · NAP · BLUES · POT · COMB · OX · RAIN · DOZE · BEE · SLUMBER
Group 1
Hint 1: A nudge
Radio stations often specialise in just one of these.
Hint 2: Narrowing it down
One of them grew up in the Caribbean; another came out of clubs full of drum machines.
Hint 3: Nearly there
Sort them by sound: each word names a genre you could choose on a streaming app.
Group 2
Hint 1: A nudge
Very welcome on a long train journey.
Hint 2: Narrowing it down
Some of these are brief and accidental; one sounds deep and almost poetic.
Hint 3: Nearly there
All four describe resting with your eyes shut, whether for ten minutes or all night.
Group 3
Hint 1: A nudge
One single word, stuck on the front of each, finishes all four.
Hint 2: Narrowing it down
The results include an insect, a melon, and a container a greedy bear might raid.
Hint 3: Nearly there
The shared starter is the sweet syrup gathered from hives.
Group 4
Hint 1: A nudge
Each of these is only half of something; the missing half is the same every time.
Hint 2: Narrowing it down
On their own they mean a farm animal, lengthy, annoyed, and water falling from clouds.
Hint 3: Nearly there
The shared three-letter ending is what an archer draws, and also the loop tied on a gift.