Let me analyze these 16 words to find groups of 4 that share a common category. Looking at the words: - KISSCAM, NEAPOLITAN, VENETIAN, FUJIFILM, POLAROID, CREAMSICLE, BOLOGNESE, OLYMPUS, ASTROTURF, SKYBOX, JOURNEYMAN, HASSELBLAD, RUSHMORE, PARMESAN, SCOREBOARD, JUMBOTRON Potential categories I can identify: 1. **Camera/Photography brands**: FUJIFILM, POLAROID, OLYMPUS, HASSELBLAD - These are all camera manufacturers 2. **Italian references** (things from Italian cities): NEAPOLITAN (Naples), VENETIAN (Venice), BOLOGNESE (Bologna), PARMESAN (Parma) - These are all adjectives/nouns derived from Italian cities 3. **Sports stadium/arena features**: KISSCAM, SKYBOX, SCOREBOARD, JUMBOTRON - These are all things you'd find at a sporting venue 4. **Wes Anderson movies**: Let me think... RUSHMORE is definitely one. Could ASTROTURF, JOURNEYMAN be others? Actually, I'm not confident about this pattern. 5. **Orange/cream colored things or flavors**: CREAMSICLE, NEAPOLITAN... wait, that doesn't quite work. Let me reconsider: - ASTROTURF could be artificial grass at stadiums - JOURNEYMAN could be a movie or a term for a skilled worker - CREAMSICLE is an ice cream treat - RUSHMORE could be Mount Rushmore or the Wes Anderson film The strongest patterns I see are: 1. Camera brands: FUJIFILM, POLAROID, OLYMPUS, HASSELBLAD 2. Italian city-derived words: NEAPOLITAN, VENETIAN, BOLOGNESE, PARMESAN 3. Sports venue features: KISSCAM, SKYBOX, SCOREBOARD, JUMBOTRON I'm most confident about the camera brands, so I'll start with that.

Great! Now I have 12 words remaining: KISSCAM, NEAPOLITAN, VENETIAN, CREAMSICLE, BOLOGNESE, ASTROTURF, SKYBOX, JOURNEYMAN, RUSHMORE, PARMESAN, SCOREBOARD, JUMBOTRON My previous analysis identified: 1. **Italian city-derived words**: NEAPOLITAN (Naples), VENETIAN (Venice), BOLOGNESE (Bologna), PARMESAN (Parma) - These are all adjectives/nouns that come from Italian cities 2. **Sports venue features**: KISSCAM, SKYBOX, SCOREBOARD, JUMBOTRON - These are all things you'd find at a sporting event or stadium 3. Remaining words: CREAMSICLE, ASTROTURF, JOURNEYMAN, RUSHMORE Let me think about what could connect the remaining 4: - CREAMSICLE - orange and cream popsicle - ASTROTURF - artificial grass/turf - JOURNEYMAN - a skilled worker or a level between apprentice and master - RUSHMORE - Mount Rushmore Could these be compound words or portmanteau words? Or things with specific color patterns? Let me think... - ASTROTURF could relate to "fake" things (astroturfing) - Wait, could these all be things that are "artificial" or "fake"? ASTROTURF (fake grass), but the others don't fit... Let me go with my second strongest pattern - the Italian city words.

Excellent! Now I have 8 words remaining: KISSCAM, CREAMSICLE, ASTROTURF, SKYBOX, JOURNEYMAN, RUSHMORE, SCOREBOARD, JUMBOTRON I previously identified: **Sports venue features**: KISSCAM, SKYBOX, SCOREBOARD, JUMBOTRON Let me verify this makes sense: - KISSCAM - camera at sports events that shows couples kissing - SKYBOX - luxury seating area at stadiums - SCOREBOARD - displays the score at sporting events - JUMBOTRON - large video screen at stadiums Yes, these all fit perfectly as things you'd find at a sports stadium or arena. That would leave: CREAMSICLE, ASTROTURF, JOURNEYMAN, RUSHMORE Let me think about what could connect these four: - CREAMSICLE - orange/cream popsicle - ASTROTURF - artificial grass/fake grass - JOURNEYMAN - skilled worker, or could be a movie - RUSHMORE - Mount Rushmore monument, or the Wes Anderson film "Rushmore" Could these all be movies? Or compound words? Or something else? Wait - could these all have color combinations? - CREAMSICLE - orange and white/cream - ASTROTURF - green (artificial green) - JOURNEYMAN - not a color... - RUSHMORE - not obviously a color... Let me stick with the sports venue pattern, which I'm very confident about.

Interesting! So KISSCAM, SKYBOX, SCOREBOARD, JUMBOTRON are not all in the same category, even though they seemed like obvious stadium features. Let me reconsider the 8 remaining words: KISSCAM, CREAMSICLE, ASTROTURF, SKYBOX, JOURNEYMAN, RUSHMORE, SCOREBOARD, JUMBOTRON If the stadium features don't all go together, let me think about other patterns: Could some of these be compound words where one part means something specific? - KISSCAM - KISS + CAM - CREAMSICLE - CREAM + (P)OPSICLE - ASTROTURF - ASTRO + TURF - SKYBOX - SKY + BOX - JOURNEYMAN - JOURNEY + MAN - RUSHMORE - RUSH + MORE - SCOREBOARD - SCORE + BOARD - JUMBOTRON - JUMBO + TRON Wait! Let me think about "____ MAN" or "____ MORE" patterns... Actually, could these be things that can follow a specific word? Or words that contain hidden smaller words? Let me think about Wes Anderson films: - RUSHMORE - yes, a Wes Anderson film - Could ASTROTURF be related? No, I don't think so. Wait - could some of these be related to orange/cream colors or two-tone things? - CREAMSICLE - orange and cream colored - NEAPOLITAN was already used (it was brown, pink, white ice cream) Let me think about words with "ORANGE" theme or two-color themes: - CREAMSICLE - orange and white - ASTROTURF - wait, could this be related to the Houston Astros? - RUSHMORE - has orange/tan colors? Hmm, let me think about brand names or proper nouns that use these words... Actually, could these all be things that are "fake" or "artificial" or "synthetic"? - ASTROTURF - artificial grass, also means fake grassroots support - CREAMSICLE - artificial flavor? - KISSCAM - staged kisses? - SKYBOX - artificial/luxury experience? Or could these be portmanteau words or blend words? - ASTROTURF = astronaut + turf? Or astronomy + turf? - CREAMSICLE = cream + popsicle - JUMBOTRON = jumbo + -tron - SCOREBOARD = score + board Let me try a different approach. What if three of the "stadium" words go together, but not all four? Or what if it's about things that can be preceded by a color? - Orange CREAMSICLE - Blue ASTROTURF? Green ASTROTURF? - Could SKYBOX, RUSHMORE, JOURNEYMAN, SCOREBOARD, JUMBOTRON, KISSCAM also fit? Let me try thinking about ___BOX, ___CAM, ___BOARD patterns: - SKYBOX - KISSCAM - SCOREBOARD What about things that are compound words that are trademarked or brand names? - ASTROTURF - trademarked name for artificial turf - JUMBOTRON - trademarked name for large screen - CREAMSICLE - trademarked name for the popsicle - What else? POLAROID was already used... Let me try: ASTROTURF, JUMBOTRON, CREAMSICLE, and one more... Could KISSCAM be a trademark? Probably not. Could SKYBOX be generic or trademarked? Could be. Let me try this group!

Okay, I need to be more careful. Let me reconsider the 8 remaining words: KISSCAM, CREAMSICLE, ASTROTURF, SKYBOX, JOURNEYMAN, RUSHMORE, SCOREBOARD, JUMBOTRON I've tried: 1. All stadium features together - INCORRECT 2. Trademarked compound words - INCORRECT Let me think differently. What if the connection is more abstract? Could these relate to movies or pop culture? - RUSHMORE - Wes Anderson film - JOURNEYMAN - there's a TV show and movies with this name - CREAMSICLE - ? - ASTROTURF - ? Wait, let me think about "MOUNT ____" or "____ MOUNT": - Mount RUSHMORE - Could there be others? Or what about things that can follow "MOUNT"? - Mount RUSHMORE - Mount OLYMPUS (already used) - Mount FUJI (FUJIFILM already used) Hmm, what about words where you can add "MOUNT" before them? - RUSHMORE - Mount Rushmore - EVEREST? (not in the list) Let me think about "____ MOUNTAIN" or geographic features... Actually, wait - could some of these be slang terms or have double meanings? Let me reconsider the compound word angle but differently: What if these are all portmanteau/blend words where both parts contribute meaning? - ASTROTURF = astronomy/astronaut + turf (but really it's just fake grass) - CREAMSICLE = cream + popsicle - JUMBOTRON = jumbo + -tron/megatron - SCOREBOARD = score + board - SKYBOX = sky + box - KISSCAM = kiss + camera - JOURNEYMAN = journey + man - RUSHMORE = rush + more What if the pattern is about words that contain hidden words or can be split in a meaningful way? Let me try thinking about orange/brown color schemes: - CREAMSICLE - orange and cream - ASTROTURF - green (probably not this) - RUSHMORE - tan/beige stone - SCOREBOARD - often orange/brown in vintage ones? Actually, could these all be things associated with specific colors or color combinations? - CREAMSICLE - orange and white - What if JOURNEYMAN, RUSHMORE, SKYBOX have color associations? Wait! Could these be things that can be preceded by "MOUNT" or words with "MOUNT" in them? Or things related to peaks/high points? Let me try a different stadium grouping. What if only 3 of the stadium words go together? - SCOREBOARD, JUMBOTRON, KISSCAM - things that display information? - Or SKYBOX, SCOREBOARD, JUMBOTRON - permanent fixtures? Let me try: SCOREBOARD, JUMBOTRON, ASTROTURF, and one more stadium-related item... Could ASTROTURF (the playing field), SCOREBOARD, JUMBOTRON, and KISSCAM all be stadium elements? Actually, let me try: RUSHMORE, JOURNEYMAN, CREAMSICLE, SKYBOX These could all be... movies? TV shows? Let me check: - RUSHMORE - film - JOURNEYMAN - TV series - CREAMSICLE - ? - SKYBOX - ? Hmm, not confident about that. Let me try: ASTROTURF, SCOREBOARD, JUMBOTRON, RUSHMORE Could these be things invented or popularized in certain decades? Actually, wait - could some be related to Billy Joel songs, band names, or other music? Or books? Let me be more systematic. Let me try groups with RUSHMORE since that's distinctive: - RUSHMORE, JOURNEYMAN, SKYBOX, KISSCAM - ? - RUSHMORE, JOURNEYMAN, CREAMSICLE, ASTROTURF - ? What if they're all things that have "MAN" or can have "MAN" added? - JOURNEYMAN - RUSHMORE + MAN? - CREAMSICLE + MAN? - Probably not... Let me try: JOURNEYMAN, RUSHMORE, SKYBOX, SCOREBOARD Could these all be movies or things from movies/TV? I'll go with this guess focusing on potential entertainment/media references:

I'm down to my last incorrect guess! I need to be very careful now. Let me think more systematically about the 8 remaining words: KISSCAM, CREAMSICLE, ASTROTURF, SKYBOX, JOURNEYMAN, RUSHMORE, SCOREBOARD, JUMBOTRON Let me think about what connections I haven't considered: Could these be words that can follow or precede a common word? Let me think about "____ ORANGE": - CREAMSICLE is orange colored - Could others relate to orange? What about things that are two-toned or have dual colors? - CREAMSICLE - orange and cream/white - ASTROTURF - but that's just green - NEAPOLITAN was already grouped (three colors) Wait! Let me think about words where you can put a color before them: - ORANGE CREAMSICLE? Or is CREAMSICLE already the full name? - GREEN ASTROTURF? But astroturf IS the artificial grass... Let me think about compound words differently. What if some of these are: - Words that end in a similar pattern? - SCOREBOARD (ends in BOARD) - JUMBOTRON (ends in TRON) - ASTROTURF (ends in TURF) - KISSCAM (ends in CAM) Or words that start similarly? - No obvious pattern What if these can all be preceded by a number or a specific word? - FIRST DOWN? THIRD BASE? - Actually, what about ordinal numbers or levels? - JOURNEYMAN - a level/rank (apprentice, journeyman, master) Wait! Could these all be levels, ranks, or categories? - JOURNEYMAN - craftsman rank - SKYBOX - premium/luxury level - SCOREBOARD - ? - RUSHMORE - Mount Rushmore, but also used to describe greatness ("the Mount Rushmore of...") Hmm, what about things that are metaphorical or idiomatic? - "Mount Rushmore of ___" (best/greatest) - JOURNEYMAN (competent but not great) - ASTROTURF (fake grassroots) Could these be words with metaphorical meanings beyond their literal ones? - ASTROTURF - fake grassroots movement - JOURNEYMAN - competent professional - SKYBOX - exclusive/VIP access - RUSHMORE - pantheon of greats Let me try: ASTROTURF, JOURNEYMAN, RUSHMORE, SKYBOX - words with metaphorical/slang meanings? Actually, wait! What if these are all things that can be "ORANGE ___"? - Orange CREAMSICLE - Orange JUMBOTRON display? - Orange SCOREBOARD? - Orange RUSHMORE? Or things associated with the color orange or Syracuse Orange or Denver Broncos orange? Let me think about brand names or products again: - CREAMSICLE - Popsicle brand product - ASTROTURF - brand name for artificial turf - JUMBOTRON - Sony brand name - What's the fourth? SKYBOX? KISSCAM? Actually, I think the trademark/brand name connection might be right, but I chose wrong items. Let me reconsider: - ASTROTURF - definitely a trademark - CREAMSICLE - trademark owned by Unilever - JUMBOTRON - trademark by Sony - KISSCAM - probably not trademarked - SKYBOX - there is SkyBox trading cards! - SCOREBOARD - generic term - JOURNEYMAN - generic term - RUSHMORE - place name So: ASTROTURF, CREAMSICLE, JUMBOTRON, SKYBOX could all be trademarks/brand names! Let me go with this!

Let me analyze the 16 words to find groups of 4 that share a common category. Available words: INTELLIGENCE, SHARE, POLE, INTEREST, FOLLOW, REGARD, OBSERVE, PERCENTAGE, POST, PILLAR, DIRT, INFORMATION, STAKE, MIND, COLUMN, SECRETS Let me look for potential categories: 1. **Vertical structures**: POLE, POST, PILLAR, COLUMN - these are all tall, vertical supporting structures 2. **Things you can have in something**: SHARE, INTEREST, STAKE, PERCENTAGE - these all relate to ownership or portion of something (like a company or investment) 3. **Synonyms for attention/care**: MIND, REGARD, OBSERVE, FOLLOW - these could relate to paying attention or caring about something 4. **Synonyms for information/knowledge**: INTELLIGENCE, INFORMATION, SECRETS, DIRT - these all relate to knowledge or information (with "dirt" being slang for gossip/information) Let me evaluate confidence levels: The vertical structures group (POLE, POST, PILLAR, COLUMN) seems very strong - these are all synonyms for vertical support structures. The ownership/investment group (SHARE, INTEREST, STAKE, PERCENTAGE) is also very strong - all financial/ownership terms. The information group (INTELLIGENCE, INFORMATION, SECRETS, DIRT) is solid - "dirt" means gossip/scandalous information. The attention group (MIND, REGARD, OBSERVE, FOLLOW) is plausible but less certain. I'll start with what I think is the strongest connection - the vertical structures.

Great! POLE, POST, PILLAR, COLUMN were correct. Remaining words: INTELLIGENCE, SHARE, INTEREST, FOLLOW, REGARD, OBSERVE, PERCENTAGE, DIRT, INFORMATION, STAKE, MIND, SECRETS Now let me reconsider the remaining groups: 1. **Ownership/investment terms**: SHARE, INTEREST, STAKE, PERCENTAGE - all relate to portions or ownership in something (company, investment, etc.) 2. **Information/intelligence**: INTELLIGENCE, INFORMATION, SECRETS, DIRT - all relate to knowledge/data. "Dirt" is slang for gossip or scandalous information. 3. **Attention/observation**: MIND, REGARD, OBSERVE, FOLLOW - these could relate to paying attention or caring about something Let me think more carefully: - SHARE: ownership portion, or to tell - INTEREST: financial stake, or curiosity - STAKE: ownership portion, or a wooden post (but post is gone) - PERCENTAGE: portion The ownership group seems very solid: SHARE, INTEREST, STAKE, PERCENTAGE - these are all ways to describe a portion or investment in something. INTELLIGENCE, INFORMATION, SECRETS, DIRT - this also seems strong as they all relate to knowledge/data. I'll go with the ownership/investment group next as it seems very clear.

Excellent! SHARE, INTEREST, STAKE, PERCENTAGE were correct. Remaining words: INTELLIGENCE, FOLLOW, REGARD, OBSERVE, DIRT, INFORMATION, MIND, SECRETS Now I have 8 words left, which should form 2 groups of 4. Let me reconsider: 1. **Information/knowledge**: INTELLIGENCE, INFORMATION, SECRETS, DIRT - INTELLIGENCE: information/data - INFORMATION: data/knowledge - SECRETS: confidential information - DIRT: slang for gossip/scandalous information 2. **Attention/observation verbs**: FOLLOW, REGARD, OBSERVE, MIND - FOLLOW: to pay attention to, track - REGARD: to look at, consider - OBSERVE: to watch, notice - MIND: to pay attention to, care about Both groups seem strong. The information group is very cohesive - all are types of information or knowledge. The second group could all be verbs meaning to pay attention to or watch something. I'll go with the information group as it seems most solid.

Perfect! INTELLIGENCE, INFORMATION, SECRETS, DIRT were correct. Remaining words: FOLLOW, REGARD, OBSERVE, MIND These are the last 4 words, so they must form the final group. Let me verify the connection: - FOLLOW: to pay attention to, to heed - REGARD: to consider, to look at with attention - OBSERVE: to watch, to notice, to comply with - MIND: to pay attention to, to obey, to care about These all can mean "to pay attention to" or "to heed/obey" something. For example: - "Follow the rules" - "Regard the instructions" - "Observe the guidelines" - "Mind your manners" This must be the final group!

Let me analyze the available words for potential categories: SAY, SPEAK, PUMP, DOWN, VOICE, SHAKE, WHOLE, WAFFLE, STEAM, QUARTER, NATURAL, CHOICE, TIRE, FLAT, HEEL, VOTE Looking for connections: 1. Words related to fractions/parts: - WHOLE, QUARTER, HALF (not present) - Could be milk types: WHOLE, QUARTER (less common) 2. Words that can follow a common word: - Could all follow "MILK": WHOLE milk, SHAKE (milkshake), PUMP (breast pump for milk), STEAM (steamed milk) - Wait, let me think about this more carefully 3. Types of milk or milk-related: - WHOLE (whole milk) - SHAKE (milkshake) - PUMP (milk pump) - STEAM (steamed milk) This seems promising! 4. Words related to voting/democracy: - VOTE, VOICE, CHOICE, SAY (as in "have a say") These all relate to having input or influence in decisions 5. Words that can mean "apartment" or dwelling types: - FLAT (British for apartment) - QUARTER (living quarters) 6. Shoes or shoe parts: - PUMP (type of shoe) - FLAT (type of shoe) - HEEL (part of shoe) 7. Words that can precede "IRON": - STEAM (steam iron) - TIRE (tire iron) - WAFFLE (waffle iron) - PUMP (not sure) 8. Types of irons: - STEAM iron - TIRE iron - WAFFLE iron - PUMP iron? No, that doesn't work Let me reconsider the voting/input category: - VOTE (cast a vote) - VOICE (voice an opinion) - CHOICE (make a choice) - SAY (have a say in something) This feels very strong - all relate to expressing opinion or having input The shoe category: - PUMP (pump shoes) - FLAT (flat shoes) - HEEL (heel shoes) - Need a fourth... QUARTER heel? No. The milk category seems strong but let me verify: - WHOLE milk - SHAKE (milkshake) - yes - PUMP (milk pump/breast pump) - yes - STEAM (steamed milk) - yes I'll go with the voting/input category first as it seems most cohesive.

Great! Now I have 12 words left: SPEAK, PUMP, DOWN, SHAKE, WHOLE, WAFFLE, STEAM, QUARTER, NATURAL, TIRE, FLAT, HEEL Let me reconsider the categories: 1. Types of milk or milk-related: - WHOLE (whole milk) - SHAKE (milkshake - but might be too literal) - PUMP (milk pump) - STEAM (steamed milk) 2. Shoe types: - PUMP (pump shoes) - FLAT (flat shoes) - HEEL (heel shoes) - Need a fourth... 3. Words that can precede "IRON": - STEAM iron - TIRE iron - WAFFLE iron - PUMP iron? No... - FLAT iron! (for hair straightening) So: STEAM, TIRE, WAFFLE, FLAT 4. Words that can follow a common word or pattern: - QUARTER, WHOLE, NATURAL (could these be note types in music?) - QUARTER note, WHOLE note, NATURAL (in music) - FLAT (also musical - flat note) Music notes: WHOLE, QUARTER, FLAT, NATURAL - this is very strong! 5. Looking at remaining after music notes would be: - SPEAK, PUMP, DOWN, SHAKE, WAFFLE, STEAM, TIRE, HEEL Let me verify the music category: - WHOLE note - QUARTER note - FLAT (musical symbol) - NATURAL (musical symbol) This is a very solid category! I'll go with the music notation category.

Excellent! Now I have 8 words left: SPEAK, PUMP, DOWN, SHAKE, WAFFLE, STEAM, TIRE, HEEL Let me look for categories: 1. Words that can precede "IRON": - STEAM iron (for clothes) - TIRE iron (for changing tires) - WAFFLE iron (for making waffles) - PUMP iron? No, that's not a thing - Could it be HEEL iron? No... 2. Looking for another pattern - words that can follow something: - PUMP (fist pump, gas pump, breast pump) - DOWN (let down, break down) - SHAKE (hand shake, milk shake) 3. Commands or verbs: - SPEAK, PUMP, SHAKE, TIRE (as in "to tire") - HEEL (as in commanding a dog to heel) 4. Dog commands: - HEEL (command to walk beside you) - SPEAK (command to bark) - DOWN (command to lie down) - SHAKE (command to shake paw) This is very strong! All are classic dog training commands! 5. If dog commands are correct, remaining would be: - PUMP, WAFFLE, STEAM, TIRE These could be ___ IRON: - PUMP iron? "Pumping iron" means weightlifting! But it's PUMP iron not iron pump - WAFFLE iron - yes - STEAM iron - yes - TIRE iron - yes Wait, let me reconsider: "PUMP iron" - people say "pump iron" meaning to lift weights. But is it "pump iron" or different? Actually, the phrase is "PUMP iron" (to lift weights), and we have: - WAFFLE iron - STEAM iron - TIRE iron - PUMP iron I'm most confident about the dog commands, so I'll go with that.

Perfect! That leaves the final 4 words: PUMP, WAFFLE, STEAM, TIRE These should all form one category. Let me verify: Words that can precede "IRON": - PUMP iron (weightlifting - "pumping iron") - WAFFLE iron (cooking appliance) - STEAM iron (for pressing clothes) - TIRE iron (tool for changing tires) Yes! These all go before "iron" to form common phrases or compound words. This must be the final category.

Let me analyze these 16 words for potential categories in the NYT Connections game. Looking at the words: ALTERNATE, HACK, SHRINK, VAPORIZE, HERO, FREEZE, COVER, FANTASY, SOMEDAY, HONEY, BACKUP, COPPER, SUB, MELT, CONDENSE, SUIT Potential categories I can identify: 1. **Phase changes/States of matter transitions**: VAPORIZE, FREEZE, MELT, CONDENSE - These are all ways matter changes between solid, liquid, and gas states. 2. **Substitutes/Replacements**: ALTERNATE, BACKUP, SUB, COVER - These all relate to being a replacement or substitute for something/someone. 3. **Terms of endearment/Sweet nicknames**: HONEY, SUGAR... wait, I don't see SUGAR. Let me reconsider. 4. **Mariah Carey songs**: Looking at FANTASY, HONEY, SOMEDAY... these could be Mariah Carey song titles. Let me think if there's a fourth one. HERO is also a Mariah Carey song! 5. **Professions or types**: HACK (writer), COPPER (police officer slang), SUB (substitute teacher)... Let me focus on the strongest connections: **Phase changes** seems very strong: VAPORIZE (liquid to gas), FREEZE (liquid to solid), MELT (solid to liquid), CONDENSE (gas to liquid) - these are the four main phase transitions. **Mariah Carey songs**: FANTASY, HERO, HONEY, SOMEDAY - all of these are hit songs by Mariah Carey. **Substitutes**: ALTERNATE, BACKUP, SUB, COVER - all mean replacement or substitute. That would leave: HACK, SHRINK, COPPER, SUIT - Could these be slang terms for professions? HACK (taxi driver or writer), SHRINK (psychiatrist), COPPER (police officer), SUIT (business executive). I'm most confident about the phase changes category, so I'll start with that.

Great! The phase changes category was correct. Now I have 12 words remaining: ALTERNATE, HACK, SHRINK, HERO, COVER, FANTASY, SOMEDAY, HONEY, BACKUP, COPPER, SUB, SUIT Let me reconsider the categories: 1. **Mariah Carey songs**: FANTASY, HERO, HONEY, SOMEDAY - I'm quite confident these are all Mariah Carey hit songs: - "Fantasy" (1995) - "Hero" (1993) - "Honey" (1997) - "Someday" (1990) 2. **Substitutes/Replacements**: ALTERNATE, BACKUP, SUB, COVER - all mean replacement or stand-in 3. **Slang for professions**: HACK (taxi driver/writer), SHRINK (psychiatrist), COPPER (police officer), SUIT (business executive) The Mariah Carey songs category seems very strong and specific - that's a classic NYT Connections category (pop culture reference). I'll go with that next.

Excellent! Two down. Now I have 8 words remaining: ALTERNATE, HACK, SHRINK, COVER, BACKUP, COPPER, SUB, SUIT Let me analyze what's left: 1. **Substitutes/Replacements**: ALTERNATE, BACKUP, SUB, COVER - These all mean replacement or stand-in: - ALTERNATE: an alternative option or substitute - BACKUP: a reserve or substitute - SUB: short for substitute - COVER: to cover for someone (fill in for them) 2. **Slang for professions**: HACK, SHRINK, COPPER, SUIT: - HACK: slang for taxi driver or journalist - SHRINK: slang for psychiatrist/psychologist - COPPER: slang for police officer - SUIT: slang for business executive or corporate person Both categories seem solid. The substitutes category feels very cohesive - they all directly mean to replace or stand in for something/someone. I'll go with that one.

Perfect! Three categories down, one to go. The remaining 4 words are: HACK, SHRINK, COPPER, SUIT These should all be slang terms for professions: - HACK: slang for taxi driver or journalist - SHRINK: slang for psychiatrist/psychologist - COPPER: slang for police officer - SUIT: slang for business executive or corporate person This must be the final category. All four are informal/slang terms used to refer to people in specific professions.

Let me analyze these 16 words to find groups of 4 that share a common category. Looking at the words: BUNK, HITCH, BEND, SHEEPSHANK, BOWLINE, POLE, HAMMER, BATON, GOATEE, HORSEFEATHERS, HOGWASH, HORNS, TAIL, HURDLE, CROCK, PITCHFORK Potential categories: 1. **Types of knots**: SHEEPSHANK, BOWLINE, HITCH, BEND - These are all sailing/rope knots - Sheepshank: a type of knot - Bowline: a common knot - Hitch: a type of knot - Bend: a type of knot 2. **Words meaning "nonsense/lies"**: BUNK, HORSEFEATHERS, HOGWASH, CROCK - Bunk: nonsense - Horsefeathers: nonsense/rubbish - Hogwash: nonsense - Crock: nonsense (as in "crock of...") 3. **Track and field events**: POLE (vault), HAMMER (throw), HURDLE, and possibly others - Need to find a 4th... BATON? (relay baton) - POLE (pole vault), HAMMER (hammer throw), HURDLE (hurdles), BATON (relay) 4. **Devil/demon features or "fork-tailed devil" components**: HORNS, TAIL, PITCHFORK, GOATEE - These all relate to the stereotypical appearance of the devil Let me verify: - Knots group seems very strong: SHEEPSHANK, BOWLINE, HITCH, BEND - Nonsense words: BUNK, HORSEFEATHERS, HOGWASH, CROCK - Track & field: POLE, HAMMER, HURDLE, BATON - Devil imagery: HORNS, TAIL, PITCHFORK, GOATEE I'm most confident about the knots category, as these are all very specific types of knots used in sailing and rope work.

Great! The knots category was correct. Now I have 12 words left: BUNK, POLE, HAMMER, BATON, GOATEE, HORSEFEATHERS, HOGWASH, HORNS, TAIL, HURDLE, CROCK, PITCHFORK Let me reconsider my remaining potential categories: 1. **Words meaning "nonsense/lies"**: BUNK, HORSEFEATHERS, HOGWASH, CROCK - Bunk: nonsense - Horsefeathers: nonsense/rubbish (expression of disbelief) - Hogwash: nonsense - Crock: nonsense (as in "crock of lies") This seems very strong. 2. **Track and field events**: POLE (vault), HAMMER (throw), HURDLE, BATON (relay) - All are track and field events or equipment used in them - This also seems strong 3. **Devil/demon imagery**: HORNS, TAIL, PITCHFORK, GOATEE - Traditional depiction of the devil includes horns, a tail, a pitchfork, and often a goatee - This fits well too All three remaining groups seem solid. Let me go with the "nonsense" words next, as that's a classic NYT Connections category type (words with similar meanings).

Excellent! Two down. Now I have 8 words left: POLE, HAMMER, BATON, GOATEE, HORNS, TAIL, HURDLE, PITCHFORK My two remaining potential categories: 1. **Track and field events**: POLE (vault), HAMMER (throw), HURDLE, BATON (relay) - POLE - pole vault - HAMMER - hammer throw - HURDLE - hurdles race - BATON - relay race (passing the baton) All are track and field events or key equipment in those events. 2. **Devil/demon imagery**: HORNS, TAIL, PITCHFORK, GOATEE - Traditional visual elements of devil depictions - HORNS - devil has horns - TAIL - devil has a pointed tail - PITCHFORK - devil carries a pitchfork/trident - GOATEE - devil often depicted with a goatee beard Both seem equally strong. I'll go with the track and field category as it's a more straightforward connection.

Perfect! Three down, one to go. The remaining 4 words are: GOATEE, HORNS, TAIL, PITCHFORK This should be the devil/demon imagery category I identified earlier: - GOATEE - the pointed beard traditionally associated with devil depictions - HORNS - devil's horns - TAIL - devil's pointed tail - PITCHFORK - the devil's weapon/tool (often depicted as a pitchfork or trident) All of these are classic visual elements in traditional depictions of the devil or demons.

Let me analyze the 16 words to find groups of 4 that share a common category. Available words: BROWN, CHEST, CHIEF, HAZEL, DOGS, FIELD, GREEN, CHAIR, LAWN, DIRECTOR, COCO, HEAD, FICTION, GROUNDS, PEA, UNCHAINED Let me look for potential categories: 1. **Shades of green/colors**: GREEN, PEA (pea green), HAZEL (greenish-brown), LAWN (lawn green)... but this seems weak. 2. **Quentin Tarantino movies**: - PULP FICTION (but PULP isn't here, just FICTION) - RESERVOIR DOGS (just DOGS) - DJANGO UNCHAINED (just UNCHAINED) - Let me think... could there be movie titles? - "RESERVOIR DOGS", "PULP FICTION", "DJANGO UNCHAINED", "JACKIE BROWN" - BROWN, DOGS, FICTION, UNCHAINED - these could all be parts of Tarantino movie titles! 3. **Executive positions/titles**: CHIEF, DIRECTOR, HEAD, CHAIR (as in chairman/chairperson) 4. **Coffee-related terms**: GROUNDS (coffee grounds), BROWN, COCO (cocoa?)... not enough 5. **Types of fields/areas**: FIELD, LAWN, GROUNDS... need one more Let me reconsider: **Executive/Leadership titles**: CHIEF, DIRECTOR, HEAD, CHAIR - these are all leadership position titles (Chief Executive, Director, Head of Department, Chairman) **Tarantino movies (missing words)**: BROWN (Jackie Brown), DOGS (Reservoir Dogs), FICTION (Pulp Fiction), UNCHAINED (Django Unchained) **Green shades**: GREEN, PEA (pea green), HAZEL (hazel is greenish-brown), LAWN (lawn green)? Wait, or these could be colors... **Remaining**: CHEST, FIELD, COCO, GROUNDS Actually, let me reconsider colors: - HAZEL (eye color/brown-green) - BROWN (color) - GREEN (color) - Could there be eye colors? HAZEL, BROWN, GREEN... what's the fourth? BLUE isn't here. Let me start with what seems most confident: **Executive titles** CHIEF, DIRECTOR, HEAD, CHAIR

Excellent! Now I have 12 words left: BROWN, CHEST, HAZEL, DOGS, FIELD, GREEN, LAWN, COCO, FICTION, GROUNDS, PEA, UNCHAINED Let me reconsider my earlier hypothesis about Tarantino movies: - BROWN (Jackie Brown) - DOGS (Reservoir Dogs) - FICTION (Pulp Fiction) - UNCHAINED (Django Unchained) This seems very strong - these are all the second/key words from famous Quentin Tarantino movie titles. Remaining would be: CHEST, HAZEL, FIELD, GREEN, LAWN, COCO, GROUNDS, PEA Let me think about what these could be: - **Shades of green**: GREEN, PEA (pea green), LAWN (lawn green), HAZEL (has greenish tones) - Or **Eye colors**: HAZEL, GREEN... but need two more - **Physical features/body parts**: CHEST... - **Outdoor areas**: FIELD, LAWN, GROUNDS... - **Movies/Characters**: COCO (Pixar movie) Actually, thinking about "_____ chest": - CHEST could combine with other words - FIELD, GROUNDS, LAWN - these are all outdoor playing/ground areas Let me think about compound words or phrases: - COFFEE GROUNDS - LAWN... - FIELD... - Could there be coffee-related: GROUNDS, BROWN, COCO... Wait, what about phrases with a common word following? - PEA ___ (pea green, pea soup, pea coat) - ___ COAT: PEA (pea coat), ... Let me go with the Tarantino movies - this seems very solid.

Great! Now I have 8 words left: CHEST, HAZEL, FIELD, GREEN, LAWN, COCO, GROUNDS, PEA Let me think about what categories could connect these: 1. **Shades/types of green**: - PEA (pea green) - LAWN (lawn green) - GREEN (green itself) - HAZEL (though hazel is more brownish-green) - But this seems like it could work! 2. **Outdoor areas/grounds**: - FIELD - LAWN - GROUNDS - Need one more... CHEST doesn't fit 3. **Words that can precede a common word**: - Let me think... ___ NUT: HAZEL (hazelnut), COCO (coconut), CHEST (chestnut), PEA (peanut)! - This is very strong! HAZEL, COCO, CHEST, PEA can all precede "NUT" 4. **Remaining would be**: FIELD, GREEN, LAWN, GROUNDS Let me verify the ___NUT category: - HAZELNUT ✓ - COCONUT ✓ (COCO) - CHESTNUT ✓ - PEANUT ✓ This is excellent! And the remaining FIELD, GREEN, LAWN, GROUNDS could all be outdoor areas or they might share another connection. I'm very confident about the ___NUT group.

Perfect! Now I have the final 4 words left: FIELD, GREEN, LAWN, GROUNDS Since these are the last 4 words, they must form the final category. Let me think about what connects them: 1. **Outdoor areas**: FIELD, LAWN, GROUNDS - these are all outdoor spaces - GREEN could be a village green, bowling green, putting green 2. **Types of areas with grass/vegetation**: All four could be grassy areas - FIELD (playing field, grassy field) - LAWN (grass lawn) - GROUNDS (like estate grounds) - GREEN (like a town green, village green, putting green) 3. **Could they all follow a common word?** - BOWLING: bowling green, bowling lawn (less common), bowling field (no), bowling grounds (no) - Actually BOWLING GREEN is definitely a thing 4. **Or precede a common word?** - ___KEEPER: GROUNDS (groundskeeper), GREEN (greenkeeper)... I think they're all types of outdoor grassy areas or public spaces. Since these are the last 4 words, they must be the answer!

Let me analyze these 16 words for potential categories in the NYT Connections game. Looking at the words: FANTASTIC, ECHO, DROP, PARROT, CANDLES, GENIE, PRINCESS, APOLLO, SAILOR, PRISONER, REFEREE, LAG, MIME, SAMURAI, MONKEY, FREEZE Let me consider potential groupings: 1. **Words that can follow "SUPER"**: SUPER MARIO characters or games - Looking for Nintendo/video game references - MARIO games: SUPER MARIO ODYSSEY has kingdoms - Could be: PRINCESS (Peach), but need more 2. **Words that might be types of costumes or Halloween costumes**: - PRINCESS, GENIE, SAILOR, PRISONER, REFEREE, MIME, SAMURAI - These are all common costume types! 3. **Words related to repeating or copying**: - ECHO (repeats sound) - PARROT (repeats speech) - MIME (copies actions) - MONKEY (as in "monkey see, monkey do") 4. **Words that can follow a specific word**: - DROP, LAG, FREEZE - these could be tech/computer terms - Or game commands? 5. **Apollo missions or space related**: - APOLLO (space program) 6. **Children's games or "Freeze" games**: - FREEZE (freeze tag, freeze dance) - DROP (drop the handkerchief?) Let me reconsider - looking for "_____ FOUR" or "FOUR _____": - FANTASTIC FOUR (Marvel) - Hmm, what else? Wait - what about words that can come before "MR."? - MR. FANTASTIC (Fantastic Four) - Could there be others? Let me think about "types of costume parties" or "costume ideas": PRINCESS, GENIE, SAILOR, PRISONER, REFEREE, MIME, SAMURAI - these are all classic costume types. Actually, let me reconsider the "repeating/copying" category more carefully: - ECHO - repeats sound - PARROT - repeats what you say - MONKEY - "monkey see, monkey do" (mimics) - MIME - mimics/copies actions silently This seems like a strong category: things that repeat or copy behavior/sounds. I'll start with this guess as it seems most cohesive.

My guess of ECHO, PARROT, MONKEY, MIME was incorrect. Let me reconsider. Remaining words: FANTASTIC, DROP, CANDLES, GENIE, APOLLO, PRINCESS, SAILOR, PRISONER, REFEREE, LAG, FREEZE, SAMURAI Let me think about other patterns: 1. **Costume types** - this still seems very strong: - PRINCESS, GENIE, SAILOR, PRISONER, REFEREE, MIME, SAMURAI - Wait, MIME was in my previous guess, so maybe not all of these work together - Let me focus on: PRINCESS, GENIE, SAILOR, PRISONER, REFEREE, SAMURAI 2. **Game/Tag variations** - children's games with "tag" or specific rules: - FREEZE (freeze tag) - Maybe DROP (drop the handkerchief)? - LAG could be lag tag? 3. **Words that can precede "TAG"** - FREEZE TAG (game) - LAG TAG - Could DROP be "drop tag"? 4. **Sixteen Candles** - movie reference? - CANDLES from "Sixteen Candles" - PRINCESS from "Princess Diaries"? - Movies? 5. **Apollo** missions: - APOLLO 13, etc. 6. **Comic book/Fantastic Four**: - MR. FANTASTIC - Could there be INVISIBLE, HUMAN TORCH references? Let me think about "____ MR.": - FANTASTIC MR. Fox (Roald Dahl book/movie!) - Could there be other "MR. ____" references? Or words that go with a number or specific pattern? Actually, let me reconsider costume party themes more carefully: SAILOR, PRISONER, REFEREE, SAMURAI - these could all be classic costume types. Let me try this group.

I've now made two incorrect guesses. Let me be more careful and analytical. Remaining words: FANTASTIC, DROP, CANDLES, GENIE, APOLLO, PRINCESS, SAILOR, PRISONER, REFEREE, LAG, FREEZE, SAMURAI Let me think about different word patterns: 1. **Words that can follow "SUPER"**: - SUPER MARIO games have different themes/levels - Wait - SUPER MARIO ODYSSEY has different kingdoms/costumes Mario can wear - Could these be Mario Odyssey costumes or references? 2. **Words relating to a specific phrase or completion**: - LAG, DROP, FREEZE - these are all internet/computer issues - LAG (network lag), DROP (connection drop), FREEZE (computer freeze) - What would be the fourth? 3. **___ MOON or APOLLO ___**: - APOLLO (missions) - SAILOR MOON (anime!) - PRINCESS could relate to Sailor Moon 4. **Sailor Moon characters**: - SAILOR Moon - PRINCESS (Princess Serenity) - Could there be others? 5. **Things that can come before a specific word**: - Let me think about what these could all precede... 6. **TAG variations**: - FREEZE tag - Could LAG tag exist? Wait! Let me think about **APOLLO**: - APOLLO Theater - APOLLO missions - Apollo Creed (Rocky) Or **FANTASTIC**: - FANTASTIC Four - FANTASTIC Beasts - MR. FANTASTIC Let me reconsider: Words that might go with "MR." - FANTASTIC (Mr. Fantastic) - FREEZE (Mr. Freeze - Batman villain!) - Could there be others? Actually, thinking about Batman villains or comic characters: - MR. FREEZE (Batman villain) - MR. FANTASTIC (Fantastic Four) Hmm, what about words that can be "___ PRINCESS": - WARRIOR PRINCESS (Xena) - Could SAMURAI be part of a title? Let me try: DROP, LAG, FREEZE, and one more for internet/tech issues Looking at remaining words... CANDLES doesn't fit, GENIE doesn't fit... Actually, could these be types of shots or moves in a game? - DROP shot - FREEZE frame - LAG... I'm going to try: APOLLO, CANDLES, GENIE, PRINCESS - thinking these might all relate to Disney movies or characters: - GENIE (Aladdin) - PRINCESS (many Disney princesses) - APOLLO (Hercules has Apollo) - CANDLES (?) Actually, let me try a tech/computer issue group: DROP, LAG, FREEZE, and I need a fourth... Wait - could ECHO be part of this? No, I already used ECHO. Let me try: FANTASTIC, GENIE, PRINCESS, APOLLO - Disney or mythological characters?

I'm down to my last incorrect guess allowed. I need to be very careful here. Remaining words: FANTASTIC, DROP, CANDLES, GENIE, APOLLO, PRINCESS, SAILOR, PRISONER, REFEREE, LAG, FREEZE, SAMURAI Let me think very systematically about what connects exactly 4 of these words. 1. **Mr. ___ (Batman/Comic villains or characters)**: - MR. FREEZE (Batman villain) - MR. FANTASTIC (Fantastic Four) - Could there be MR. GENIE? No. - What about other MR. characters? 2. **___ MR. (books/movies)**: - FANTASTIC MR. Fox - Could there be others? 3. **Types of delays/issues**: - LAG (delay) - DROP (connection drop) - FREEZE (system freeze) - What's the 4th? Could it be related to buffering or something? 4. **Let me think about Sailor Moon more carefully**: - SAILOR (Sailor Moon) - PRINCESS (Princess Serenity in Sailor Moon) - Could APOLLO and something else relate? 5. **Things that can be "SUPER ___"**: - Could these relate to Super Mario costumes in Odyssey? 6. **16 or Sixteen**: - CANDLES (Sixteen Candles - movie) - Could GENIE relate to a "16" reference? 7. **Words that can follow a specific word**: - ___ SHOT: DROP shot - ___ SHOT: LAG shot? - ___ SHOT: FREEZE shot? (freeze frame) Actually, wait - let me think about "DROP THE ___": - DROP THE MIC - DROP THE BALL - DROP THE CANDLES? Or "DROP ___": - DROP SHOT (tennis/badminton) - DROP ZONE - DROP KICK Hmm, what about martial arts or fighting moves: - SAMURAI (warrior) - Could DROP, FREEZE be moves? - DROP KICK - FREEZE (?) Let me reconsider types of KICKS or martial arts moves: - DROP KICK - Could there be others with these words? Actually - KICK types: - DROP KICK - Could CANDLES relate? CANDLE stick kick? Wait! Types of KICKS in martial arts/fighting: - DROP KICK - Could there be: FREEZE KICK? SAMURAI KICK? Let me try thinking: ___ KICK - DROP KICK (wrestling/football move) - CANDLE KICK? No... - FREEZE KICK? Maybe in video games? - APOLLO KICK? - SAMURAI KICK? - SAILOR KICK? (Sailor Moon does kicks!) - PRINCESS KICK? Actually in Street Fighter or fighting games: - Could these be special moves? Let me try: DROP, FREEZE, LAG, and one more as computer/connection issues. But what's the 4th? Actually, I should consider: APOLLO, FREEZE, DROP, FANTASTIC - APOLLO (Creed - Rocky character) - FREEZE (Mr. Freeze) - DROP (?) - FANTASTIC (Mr. Fantastic) These could all be preceded by a title or name! Let me try LAG, DROP, FREEZE and something for internet issues... but I can't find a clear 4th. I'll go with: DROP, LAG, FREEZE, CANDLES - maybe all related to frame rate or video issues? CANDLES as in "can't run, looks like candles" (slow framerate)? No wait - let me try: APOLLO, SAMURAI, PRISONER, GENIE - all can be "THE ___" - THE PRISONER (TV show) - THE GENIE - THE SAMURAI - THE APOLLO? Actually: ___ OF WAR - PRISONER of War - GENIE could relate to a game? - No... Let me try: CANDLES, GENIE, APOLLO, PRINCESS - thinking Disney/animated movies

Let me analyze these 16 words to find groups of 4 that share a common category. Looking at the words: QUALITY, DEED, LODGE, COMPOUND, HYBRID, TOKEN, HOTEL, WEDGE, BLEND, BIRTH, HOUSE, STICK, CROSS, CRUISE, PLANT, REMOTE Let me consider potential categories: 1. **Types of accommodations/lodging**: LODGE, HOTEL, HOUSE - only 3, need 1 more 2. **Words that can follow "CONTROL"**: QUALITY (quality control), BIRTH (birth control), CRUISE (cruise control), REMOTE (remote control) - this looks promising! 3. **Mixing/combining related words**: COMPOUND, HYBRID, BLEND, CROSS - these all relate to mixing or combining things 4. **Words that can precede a specific word**: Let me think about what could go with WEDGE, STICK, TOKEN, DEED, PLANT 5. **Geometric/shape words**: WEDGE, CROSS - not enough Let me verify my strongest category - words that can follow "CONTROL": - QUALITY CONTROL ✓ - BIRTH CONTROL ✓ - CRUISE CONTROL ✓ - REMOTE CONTROL ✓ This seems very strong! The mixing/combining category also looks good: - COMPOUND (compound word, chemical compound - mixing) - HYBRID (mix of two things) - BLEND (mixing) - CROSS (crossbreed, cross-pollinate) I'll start with the CONTROL category as it seems most clear-cut.

Great! Now I have 12 words remaining: DEED, LODGE, COMPOUND, HYBRID, TOKEN, HOTEL, WEDGE, BLEND, HOUSE, STICK, CROSS, PLANT My earlier observation about mixing/combining words still looks strong: - COMPOUND (compound word, mixing elements) - HYBRID (mix of two things) - BLEND (mixing together) - CROSS (crossbreed, cross-pollinate) Let me also consider other categories: 1. **Accommodations**: LODGE, HOTEL, HOUSE - still only 3 2. **Words that can follow "HOUSE"**: - PLANT (houseplant) ✓ - GUEST might work but GUEST isn't here 3. **Words that can precede "HOUSE"**: - LODGE (lodgehouse - not common) - PLANT (planthouse - not really) - Could COMPOUND, TOKEN, WEDGE work? Compound house? Token house? Not really. 4. **Legal/property terms**: DEED (property deed), LODGE (could be related to filing/lodging documents) 5. **Words that can follow a specific word**: Let me think systematically - TOKEN: token gesture, token effort - WEDGE: wedge salad, wedge issue - STICK: stick figure, hockey stick - DEED: good deed, title deed 6. **Types of verbs or actions**: LODGE (to lodge a complaint), PLANT (to plant something), STICK (to stick something), WEDGE (to wedge something) I'm most confident in the mixing/combining category: COMPOUND, HYBRID, BLEND, CROSS

Excellent! Now I have 8 words remaining: DEED, LODGE, TOKEN, HOTEL, WEDGE, HOUSE, STICK, PLANT Let me analyze these more carefully: 1. **Accommodations**: LODGE, HOTEL, HOUSE - still only 3, what could be the 4th? - Could PLANT be a "plant" (factory/facility)? That's a stretch for lodging 2. **Words that can precede a common word**: - Let me think about what word could follow all four... - DEED, LODGE, TOKEN, HOTEL, WEDGE, HOUSE, STICK, PLANT 3. **Words that could precede "PLANT"**: - HOUSE (houseplant) ✓ - Could others work? Not really. 4. **Words that can follow "___"**: - Let me think about "POWER": power plant ✓, power house ✓ - What about LODGE? Power lodge? No. - TOKEN? Power token? No. 5. **Let me try thinking of compound words or phrases**: - LODGE: ski lodge, hunting lodge, lodge a complaint - STICK: stick figure, chopstick, hockey stick, stick shift - WEDGE: wedge salad, wedge issue, potato wedge - TOKEN: token gesture, token effort, subway token - DEED: good deed, title deed, deed of trust - PLANT: house plant, power plant, manufacturing plant - HOTEL: hotel room, hotel lobby - HOUSE: house party, house music, white house 6. **Wait - words that can follow "CHOP"**: - CHOPSTICK ✓ - CHOP HOUSE ✓ (steakhouse) - Could others work? CHOP LODGE? CHOP HOTEL? No. 7. **Words that can precede "HOUSE"**: - LODGE HOUSE? Not common - PLANT HOUSE? Not really (greenhouse, hothouse, but not planthouse) - STICK? No - Could be: OPERA, STEAK, GUEST, etc. Let me think about STEAK: - STEAKHOUSE ✓ - What else? STEAK WEDGE? No... Wait - let me think about types of salads or food items: - WEDGE (wedge salad) - HOUSE (house salad) - Could others be salads? Not really. Let me reconsider words that could all precede or follow the same word systematically: **Words that can precede "CHEESE"**: - LODGE? No - STICK? No - Could WEDGE work? Cheese wedge ✓ Hmm, let me think about **"DOOR"**: - LODGE? No - HOTEL? Hotel door? Not a compound - STICK? Doorstick? No What about suffixes or types of things: **Words ending in a pattern or types**: - All single syllable except HOTEL? - No clear pattern Let me try **words that can follow "FULL"**: - HOUSE (full house in poker) ✓ - Could others? Full lodge? Full hotel? Full deed? Not really compound words. Actually, wait - **OPERA**: - OPERA HOUSE ✓ - Could others work with OPERA? Not really. Let me think about **GUEST**: - GUEST HOUSE ✓ - GUEST LODGE? Not common - GUEST TOKEN? No Hmm, let me try **TREE**: - TREE HOUSE ✓ - LODGE could be in a tree? Tree lodge? No. - STICK could be a tree stick? No. What about words associated with **HOCKEY** or **POGO**: - POGO STICK ✓ - HOCKEY STICK ✓ - Could others? POGO HOUSE? HOCKEY HOUSE? No. Let me think differently - **words that can precede "HOLDER"**: - TOKEN HOLDER ✓ - DEED HOLDER ✓ - Could others? STICK HOLDER? PLANT HOLDER? These work but seem generic. Actually, thinking about **STICK** more: - CHOPSTICK - DRUMSTICK - YARDSTICK - DIPSTICK - LIPSTICK - MATCHSTICK - DRUMSTICK - BOOMSTICK - CANDLESTICK - BROOMSTICK Could other words also have this pattern where you add STICK? - LODGE + STICK? No - DEED + STICK? No - HOCKEY STICK, POGO STICK, MATCHSTICK, CANDLESTICK Hmm, what if the category is **types of residences or buildings**: - LODGE ✓ - HOTEL ✓ - HOUSE ✓ - PLANT (as in factory/facility)? ✓ This could work! PLANT as an industrial plant or manufacturing plant is definitely a type of building/facility.

Okay, that didn't work. Let me reconsider the remaining 8 words: DEED, LODGE, TOKEN, HOTEL, WEDGE, HOUSE, STICK, PLANT Since LODGE, HOTEL, HOUSE, PLANT didn't work as a category, let me think of other patterns. Let me think about words that can follow a specific word more systematically: **Words that can follow "CHOP"**: - CHOPSTICK ✓ - CHOP HOUSE ✓ (a type of steakhouse) - Could others work? - CHOP LODGE? No - CHOP HOTEL? No - CHOP WEDGE? No **Words that can follow "FISH"**: - FISH STICK ✓ - Could others? FISH HOUSE? FISH LODGE? FISH HOTEL? Not really standard compounds. **Words that can follow "POTATO"**: - POTATO WEDGE ✓ - POTATO PLANT ✓ - Could others? POTATO HOUSE? POTATO LODGE? No. **Words that can follow "GOOD"**: - GOOD DEED ✓ - Could others? GOOD HOUSE? GOOD LODGE? GOOD HOTEL? Not really. Let me think about **"WARMING"**: - HOUSE WARMING ✓ - Could others? LODGE WARMING? HOTEL WARMING? No. What about **"KEEPER"**: - HOUSE KEEPER ✓ - LODGE KEEPER ✓ - HOTEL KEEPER? Not common - Could others? STICK KEEPER? PLANT KEEPER? Not standard. Let me try **words that can all precede "___ING"**: - LODGING ✓ - STICKING ✓ - PLANTING ✓ - DEEDING? TOKENING? WEDGING? HOUSING ✓ - But this seems too broad. **Words that can follow "HALF"**: - Could any? HALF HOUSE? No. Let me think about **"WAY"**: - HALFWAY HOUSE ✓ - Could others? HALFWAY LODGE? No. What about **poker/card game terms**: - FULL HOUSE (in poker) - Could others be poker terms? DEED? TOKEN? WEDGE? STICK? Let me try thinking of **"STICK"** combinations: - DRUMSTICK - YARDSTICK - DIPSTICK - LIPSTICK - CANDLESTICK - MATCHSTICK Could other words form similar compounds? - DRUM + something: DRUMSTICK ✓ - YARD + something: YARDSTICK ✓ - DIP + something: DIPSTICK ✓ - LIP + something: LIPSTICK ✓ Wait! Could the pattern be words that can follow common words to make "___ STICK"? - YARD + STICK = YARDSTICK - CHOP + STICK = CHOPSTICK - DRUM + STICK = DRUMSTICK - MATCH + STICK = MATCHSTICK But none of my remaining words make those compounds directly... Let me try **"HOUSE"** combinations: - GREENHOUSE (GREEN + HOUSE) - WAREHOUSE (WARE + HOUSE) - COURTHOUSE (COURT + HOUSE) - ROADHOUSE (ROAD + HOUSE) - PENTHOUSE (PENT + HOUSE) - LIGHTHOUSE (LIGHT + HOUSE) - DOGHOUSE (DOG + HOUSE) - TREEHOUSE (TREE + HOUSE) - BOATHOUSE (BOAT + HOUSE) Hmm, could any of my words precede HOUSE to make a compound? - LODGE HOUSE? Not standard - PLANT HOUSE? Not really (we have GREENHOUSE but not PLANTHOUSE) What about words that can all follow **"SALAD"**: - WEDGE SALAD ✓ - HOUSE SALAD ✓ - Could others? SALAD STICK? SALAD PLANT? Not really. Let me try **"___PLANT"**: - HOUSEPLANT ✓ - Could others? EGGPLANT ✓ but EGG isn't here - TRANSPLANT? But TRANS isn't here What if the category is **things you can "LODGE"** (as a verb): - LODGE a complaint - LODGE an appeal - But this doesn't work with the other words. Let me think about **"GROUND"**: - Could any words precede GROUND? - HOTEL GROUNDS ✓ (plural though) - But singular: CAMPGROUND, PLAYGROUND, BACKGROUND Actually, thinking more carefully - what about words that can ALL follow one specific word? **"FISH"**: - FISH STICK ✓ - Could FISH LODGE work? Not really - FISH HOUSE? Not standard - FISH PLANT? Like a fish processing plant? Maybe, but not standard **"CARROT"**: - Could any? CARROT STICK ✓ - CARROT PLANT ✓ - Could others? CARROT WEDGE? CARROT HOUSE? No. **"STICK"** as things shaped like sticks: - FISH STICK ✓ - CARROT STICK ✓ - MOZZARELLA STICK ✓ - BREAD STICK ✓ Could other words also be types of "sticks" (food items): - WEDGE - not a stick - HOUSE - not a stick - LODGE - not a stick - TOKEN - not a stick - DEED - not a stick - PLANT - not a stick - HOTEL - not a stick Hmm, let me try **words that can precede "WARMING"**: - HOUSE WARMING ✓ - GLOBAL WARMING ✓ (but GLOBAL isn't here) Let me try a different approach - **words that can all follow "GIVE"**: - GIVE TOKEN (token gesture, as in "token") - Could others? GIVE DEED? GIVE LODGE? GIVE HOUSE? Not as standard compounds. What about **"NIGHT"**: - Could any follow? HOTEL NIGHT? LODGE NIGHT? HOUSE NIGHT? No. Let me try **"SAFE"**: - SAFE HOUSE ✓ - Could others? SAFE LODGE? SAFE HOTEL? SAFE DEPOSIT? (SAFE DEED?) No. Actually wait - **"IN"** or compound words with "IN": - Could any work? INHOUSE? Not a standard single word. Let me reconsider: **"CERTIFICATE"** or legal documents: - DEED (legal document) ✓ - Could TOKEN be like a token/certificate? - Not really a strong category. What about **"___ED"** past tense: - LODGED ✓ - WEDGED ✓ - PLANTED ✓ - STUCK (from STICK) ✓ - HOUSED ✓ - DEEDED ✓ But this seems too generic. Let me try **"___HOUSE"** again more carefully: - PENTHOUSE - GREENHOUSE - WAREHOUSE - OUTHOUSE - DOGHOUSE - FIREHOUSE - GUESTHOUSE - JAILHOUSE - STEAKHOUSE/CHOPHOUSE - ALEHOUSE - GATEHOUSE - STOREHOUSE - BUNKHOUSE - BOATHOUSE - FARMHOUSE - BATHHOUSE - COURTHOUSE Could any of my words fit? - LODGE HOUSE? No - HOTEL HOUSE? No - PLANT HOUSE? No - STICK HOUSE? No - WEDGE HOUSE? No - TOKEN HOUSE? No - DEED HOUSE? No What about thinking of **"OPERA"**: - OPERA HOUSE ✓ - Could others relate to opera or theater? Not really. Let me try **"SWEAT"**: - SWEAT LODGE ✓ - Could others? SWEAT HOUSE? Not standard. SWEAT TOKEN? SWEAT HOTEL? No. Actually, thinking about types of lodges or specific compound words: - SWEAT LODGE ✓ - SKI LODGE ✓ - HUNTING LODGE ✓ What about **"SKI"**: - SKI LODGE ✓ - SKI HOTEL ✓ - Could others? SKI STICK? Not standard (we have SKI POLE). SKI HOUSE? SKI PLANT? No. Let me try **"BOUTIQUE"**: - BOUTIQUE HOTEL ✓ - Could others? BOUTIQUE HOUSE? BOUTIQUE LODGE? Not standard. What about **"MAIN"**: - MAIN HOUSE ✓ - MAIN LODGE ✓ (maybe?) - MAIN HOTEL? MAIN STICK? Not as clear. I'm going to try a category with words that can all follow "GUEST": - GUEST HOUSE ✓ - GUEST LODGE ✓ - GUEST TOKEN? (like a guest pass/token) - GUEST STICK? No. Hmm, what about words that are all **types of golf clubs or sports equipment**: - WEDGE (golf club) ✓ - STICK (hockey stick, lacrosse stick) ✓ - Could others? HOUSE? LODGE? HOTEL? DEED? TOKEN? PLANT? No. Let me try **"___PIECE"**: - Could any work? CENTERPIECE? But none of these. What about **words that can precede or follow "PARTY"**: - HOUSE PARTY ✓ - Could others? LODGE PARTY? HOTEL PARTY? Not standard compounds. I think I should try: **words that can all follow "CHOP"**: - CHOP HOUSE ✓ (steakhouse) - CHOPSTICK ✓ - Could CHOP LODGE work? CHOP HOTEL? CHOP WEDGE? CHOP TOKEN? CHOP DEED? CHOP PLANT? Actually, these don't all work. Let me try: STICK, WEDGE, LODGE, HOTEL as things at a golf course or resort? - WEDGE (golf club) - LODGE (resort lodge) - HOTEL (resort hotel) - STICK (golf... no, not standard) Not strong enough. Let me try **words that can all precede "SALAD"**: - WEDGE SALAD ✓ - HOUSE SALAD ✓ - Could others? POTATO SALAD? But POTATO isn't there. Okay, let me try DEED, TOKEN, LODGE, HOTEL as things related to official transactions or stays: Not clear enough. Let me try: **STICK, WEDGE, PLANT, HOTEL** - no clear connection. What about: **DEED, TOKEN, HOUSE, STICK** - these could all be types of things you exchange or give? - TOKEN (give a token) - DEED (property deed, transfer) - Not strong. I'm going to guess: **STICK, HOUSE, LODGE, HOTEL** as places/structures, even though PLANT didn't work in that category before. Maybe STICK doesn't belong there but these four share another connection. Actually wait - let me think about **"___BOAT"**: - Could any work? HOUSEBOAT ✓ - Others? HOTELBOAT? LODGEBOAT? STICKBOAT? No. Let me try **words followed by "SHOE"**: - Could any work? HORSESHOE? But HORSE isn't here. What about **"FLOPHOUSE"** or **"DOGHOUSE"** - these are compound HOUSE words: - HOUSE is already one of my words, so this doesn't help directly. Let me try thinking: **"GUEST", "LODGE", "HOTEL", "HOUSE"** - all places you can stay? But that's basically what I tried before. Actually, let me reconsider: **DEED, TOKEN, WEDGE, STICK** - could these all be things that are "SPLITTING" related? - WEDGE (splits things) - STICK (splitting stick?) - Not strong. What about **"GAME" or "MONOPOLY"**: - DEED (property deed in Monopoly) ✓ - TOKEN (game token in Monopoly) ✓ - HOTEL (Monopoly piece) ✓ - HOUSE (Monopoly piece) ✓ This is it! These are all related to Monopoly!

Perfect! Now I have the final 4 words remaining: LODGE, WEDGE, STICK, PLANT These must be the last group. Let me figure out what connects them. Looking at these four words: - LODGE - WEDGE - STICK - PLANT Let me think about what they have in common: 1. **Words that can follow a specific word**: - Could they all follow the same word? - "FISH": FISH STICK ✓, but FISH LODGE? FISH WEDGE? FISH PLANT? Not all standard. - "POTATO": POTATO WEDGE ✓, POTATO PLANT ✓, but POTATO STICK? POTATO LODGE? Not all standard. 2. **Words that can precede a specific word**: - Could they all precede the same word? 3. **Verbs or actions**: - LODGE (to lodge something, like lodge a complaint) - WEDGE (to wedge something in) - STICK (to stick something) - PLANT (to plant something) - These are all verbs meaning to PUT or PLACE something! That could be it! 4. **Things with specific shapes or forms**: - WEDGE (triangular shape) - STICK (long thin shape) - But LODGE and PLANT don't fit this pattern as well. 5. **Words that can follow "SKI"**: - SKI LODGE ✓ - SKI STICK? (we have SKI POLE but not SKI STICK typically) - SKI WEDGE? SKI PLANT? No. The verb connection seems strongest - they can all be verbs meaning to place, put, or insert something: - LODGE (lodge a complaint, lodge something in place) - WEDGE (wedge something between) - STICK (stick something somewhere) - PLANT (plant something in the ground or plant evidence) Since these are the last 4 words, they must form the final category!

Let me analyze these 16 words to find groups of 4 that share a common category. Looking at the words: BUNDLE, PALEONTOLOGIST, PEARL, MINT, AMBER, GRIMACE, PILE, KERNEL, LAVENDER, TIDBIT, MOSQUITO, AMETHYST, DINOSAUR, FORTUNE, EGGPLANT, NUGGET Possible categories I can identify: 1. **Purple/violet colored things**: AMETHYST (purple gem), LAVENDER (purple flower/color), EGGPLANT (purple vegetable), GRIMACE (the purple McDonald's character) 2. **Things preserved in amber**: MOSQUITO, DINOSAUR... but I need 4 items. This seems incomplete. 3. **Small pieces/bits**: KERNEL, NUGGET, TIDBIT, MORSEL... but MORSEL isn't in the list. Maybe BUNDLE or PILE? 4. **Words that can follow "GOLD"**: NUGGET (gold nugget), MINE (gold mine)... but MINE isn't here. 5. **Things related to fossils/prehistory**: PALEONTOLOGIST, DINOSAUR, AMBER (preserves things), MOSQUITO (famous amber specimen) 6. **Gems/precious stones**: PEARL, AMBER, AMETHYST... need one more. Let me reconsider: **Purple things**: AMETHYST (purple stone), LAVENDER (purple plant/color), EGGPLANT (purple vegetable), GRIMACE (purple McDonald's character) - This seems very strong! **Small amounts/pieces**: KERNEL, NUGGET, TIDBIT, and possibly PILE or BUNDLE **Jurassic Park related**: PALEONTOLOGIST, DINOSAUR, MOSQUITO (in amber), AMBER - This could be a movie-themed connection! **Things that can be "of wisdom"**: NUGGET (nugget of wisdom), KERNEL (kernel of truth), PEARL (pearl of wisdom), TIDBIT (tidbit of information) The "pearls/nuggets/kernels of wisdom" category seems very promising: PEARL, NUGGET, KERNEL, TIDBIT - all can refer to small pieces of information or wisdom! I'll start with the purple things as it seems most concrete and clear.

Great! Now I have 12 words left: BUNDLE, PALEONTOLOGIST, PEARL, MINT, AMBER, PILE, KERNEL, TIDBIT, MOSQUITO, DINOSAUR, FORTUNE, NUGGET Let me reconsider the categories: 1. **Small pieces of wisdom/information**: PEARL (pearl of wisdom), NUGGET (nugget of wisdom), KERNEL (kernel of truth), TIDBIT (tidbit of information) - This is a very strong category where all four words can precede "of wisdom/truth/information" 2. **Jurassic Park references**: PALEONTOLOGIST, DINOSAUR, MOSQUITO (in amber), AMBER - All key elements from the Jurassic Park story 3. **Words that can mean "a lot of money"**: FORTUNE, BUNDLE (make a bundle), MINT (make a mint), PILE (make a pile) - These all mean a large amount of money 4. Remaining would be: whatever's left Let me verify the "lots of money" category: - FORTUNE - definitely means wealth - BUNDLE - "make a bundle" means make a lot of money - MINT - "make a mint" means make a lot of money - PILE - "make a pile" means make a lot of money This seems very solid! I'll go with the "lots of money" category as it's very clear and idiomatic.

Excellent! Now I have 8 words left: PALEONTOLOGIST, PEARL, AMBER, KERNEL, TIDBIT, MOSQUITO, DINOSAUR, NUGGET Let me look at the remaining categories: 1. **Small pieces of wisdom/information**: PEARL (pearl of wisdom), NUGGET (nugget of wisdom/information), KERNEL (kernel of truth), TIDBIT (tidbit of information) - All of these are idiomatic expressions for small pieces of valuable information or truth 2. **Jurassic Park references**: PALEONTOLOGIST (Alan Grant), DINOSAUR (the main attraction), MOSQUITO (preserved in amber with dinosaur DNA), AMBER (the source of dinosaur DNA in the movie) Both categories seem very strong. Let me think about which is more likely: The "wisdom/information" category: - Pearl of wisdom ✓ - Nugget of wisdom/information ✓ - Kernel of truth ✓ - Tidbit of information ✓ This is a very coherent category about small, valuable pieces of information. The "Jurassic Park" category: - PALEONTOLOGIST (main characters) - DINOSAUR (what the park is about) - MOSQUITO (preserved in amber, contained dinosaur blood) - AMBER (preserved the mosquito with dinosaur DNA) This is also very coherent and specific to the Jurassic Park storyline. I think both are equally valid. I'll go with the "small pieces of information" category first as it's based on common idiomatic expressions.

Perfect! That leaves the final 4 words: PALEONTOLOGIST, AMBER, MOSQUITO, DINOSAUR These must be the last category. Let me verify the connection: All four of these are key elements from Jurassic Park: - PALEONTOLOGIST - The main characters (Alan Grant, Ellie Sattler) were paleontologists - AMBER - The fossilized tree sap that preserved the mosquitoes - MOSQUITO - The insect preserved in amber that had dinosaur blood - DINOSAUR - The creatures that were cloned from the DNA This is clearly a Jurassic Park themed category, representing the entire premise of how dinosaurs were brought back to life in the movie/book.

Let me analyze the 16 words to find groups of 4 that share a common category. Available words: CRAYON, WING, ROB, HONEYCOMB, HOSE, BULB, FLEECE, SEAL, HEAD, ENGINE, EAR, STIFF, STALK, NOSE, CABIN, CANDLE Let me look for potential categories: 1. Body parts: HEAD, EAR, NOSE - only 3, need a 4th. WING could be part of a bird's body? 2. Things that can be "wax" + ___: - WAX CRAYON (yes) - WAX SEAL (yes) - WAX CANDLE (yes - candles are made of wax) - WAX EAR (earwax? or wax in ear) - BEESWAX comes from HONEYCOMB Let me reconsider: Things made of wax or containing wax: - CRAYON (wax crayon) - SEAL (wax seal) - CANDLE (wax candle) - HONEYCOMB (beeswax honeycomb) 3. Things you might find in an airplane: - CABIN (airplane cabin) - WING (airplane wing) - ENGINE (airplane engine) - NOSE (nose of plane) 4. Verbs that could mean "to cheat" or "steal": - ROB (steal) - FLEECE (to fleece someone = cheat them) - STIFF (to stiff someone = not pay them) - HOSE (to hose someone = cheat them) 5. Plant parts: - STALK (plant stalk) - BULB (flower bulb) - HEAD (head of cabbage/lettuce) - EAR (ear of corn) The plant parts category seems very strong: STALK, BULB, HEAD, EAR - these are all parts of plants. Let me verify the airplane parts: CABIN, WING, ENGINE, NOSE - all parts of an airplane. Let me verify the "cheat/swindle" verbs: ROB, FLEECE, STIFF, HOSE - all slang for cheating or stealing. Let me verify the wax items: CRAYON, SEAL, CANDLE, HONEYCOMB - all contain or are made of wax. I'm most confident about the plant parts category.

Great! STALK, BULB, HEAD, EAR were plant parts. Remaining words: CRAYON, WING, ROB, HONEYCOMB, HOSE, FLEECE, SEAL, ENGINE, STIFF, NOSE, CABIN, CANDLE Let me reconsider the categories: 1. Airplane parts: - CABIN (airplane cabin) - WING (airplane wing) - ENGINE (airplane engine) - NOSE (nose of plane) 2. Things made of/containing wax: - CRAYON (wax crayon) - SEAL (wax seal) - CANDLE (wax candle) - HONEYCOMB (beeswax honeycomb) 3. Slang verbs meaning to cheat/swindle/steal: - ROB (steal) - FLEECE (to fleece someone = cheat/swindle) - STIFF (to stiff someone = not pay what's owed) - HOSE (to hose someone = cheat) All three categories seem solid. Let me pick the one I'm most confident about. The airplane parts category is very clear: CABIN, WING, ENGINE, NOSE are all parts of an airplane/aircraft. The wax category is also strong, though I should double-check: - CRAYON - made with wax - SEAL - wax seal is a thing - CANDLE - made of wax - HONEYCOMB - contains beeswax The slang verbs category: - ROB - definitely means to steal - FLEECE - yes, to fleece = to swindle - STIFF - to stiff = to not pay (like stiffing a waiter) - HOSE - to hose = to cheat/swindle I'll go with the airplane parts as it seems most straightforward.

Excellent! CABIN, WING, ENGINE, NOSE were airplane parts. Remaining words: CRAYON, ROB, HONEYCOMB, HOSE, FLEECE, SEAL, STIFF, CANDLE Now I have 8 words left, which should form 2 groups of 4. Let me reconsider: 1. Things made of/containing wax: - CRAYON (wax crayon) - SEAL (wax seal) - CANDLE (wax candle) - HONEYCOMB (beeswax honeycomb) 2. Slang verbs meaning to cheat/swindle/steal: - ROB (steal) - FLEECE (to fleece someone = cheat/swindle) - STIFF (to stiff someone = not pay what's owed) - HOSE (to hose someone = cheat) Both categories seem solid. Let me think if there could be any other interpretation... Could any of these words form a different pattern? - SEAL could be an animal (seal) - HOSE could be a garden hose or pantyhose - STIFF could be a noun (dead body slang) or adjective But the two categories I identified seem most logical. I'll go with the wax category since it's very concrete and clear.

Perfect! CRAYON, SEAL, CANDLE, HONEYCOMB were all wax-related items. Remaining words: ROB, HOSE, FLEECE, STIFF These should be the last group. Let me verify they all fit the category of slang verbs meaning to cheat/swindle/steal: - ROB - to steal from someone - FLEECE - to fleece someone = to swindle or overcharge them - STIFF - to stiff someone = to not pay them what's owed (like stiffing a waiter on a tip) - HOSE - to hose someone = to cheat or swindle them Yes, these are all slang verbs that mean to cheat, swindle, or deprive someone of money.

Let me analyze these 16 words to find groups of 4 that share a common category. Looking at the words: ENERGY, BLANKET, STATE, DISCARD, SHEET, SHAM, THROW, PLAY, HONOR, JUSTICE, LABOR, DRAW, PASS, UPHOLD, KEEP, FULFILL Potential categories: 1. **Bedding/Bed linens**: BLANKET, SHEET, SHAM, THROW - These are all items you'd find on a bed. A sham is a decorative pillow cover, and a throw is a decorative blanket. 2. **Card game actions**: DISCARD, DRAW, PASS, PLAY - These are all actions you can take in card games. 3. **US Government departments**: STATE, ENERGY, JUSTICE, LABOR - These are all US Cabinet departments (Department of State, Department of Energy, Department of Justice, Department of Labor). 4. **Promise/obligation verbs**: HONOR, UPHOLD, KEEP, FULFILL - These all relate to keeping promises or commitments. Let me verify each group: - Bedding: BLANKET, SHEET, SHAM, THROW ✓ - Card actions: DISCARD, DRAW, PASS, PLAY ✓ - Cabinet departments: STATE, ENERGY, JUSTICE, LABOR ✓ - Promise verbs: HONOR, UPHOLD, KEEP, FULFILL ✓ All four groups seem solid! I'll start with the Cabinet departments as it's a very specific category and I'm highly confident about it.

Great! Now I have 12 words remaining: BLANKET, DISCARD, SHEET, SHAM, THROW, PLAY, HONOR, DRAW, PASS, UPHOLD, KEEP, FULFILL My remaining potential categories: 1. **Bedding/Bed linens**: BLANKET, SHEET, SHAM, THROW - These are all items you'd find on a bed. A sham is a decorative pillow cover, and a throw is a decorative blanket. 2. **Card game actions**: DISCARD, DRAW, PASS, PLAY - These are all actions you can take in card games. 3. **Promise/obligation verbs**: HONOR, UPHOLD, KEEP, FULFILL - These all relate to keeping promises or commitments. All three remaining groups still look solid. Let me go with the bedding category next, as it's also very specific and clear-cut.

Excellent! Now I have 8 words remaining: DISCARD, PLAY, HONOR, DRAW, PASS, UPHOLD, KEEP, FULFILL My remaining potential categories: 1. **Card game actions**: DISCARD, DRAW, PASS, PLAY - These are all actions you can take in card games. You can discard a card, draw a card, pass your turn, and play a card. 2. **Promise/obligation verbs**: HONOR, UPHOLD, KEEP, FULFILL - These all relate to keeping promises or commitments. You honor a commitment, uphold an agreement, keep a promise, and fulfill an obligation. Both groups look very solid. I'll go with the card game actions as it's a concrete, specific category.

Perfect! Now I have the final 4 words remaining: HONOR, UPHOLD, KEEP, FULFILL These must form the last group. As I analyzed earlier, these are all verbs related to keeping promises, commitments, or obligations: - HONOR a commitment - UPHOLD an agreement - KEEP a promise - FULFILL an obligation This is the final group by elimination, and it makes perfect semantic sense.