yellow group · The short answer
UNRESTRICTED PERMISSION
Each puzzle word passes the same exact test. The four mappings show how the answer works.
Figuratively, giving someone a BLANK CHECK lets that person decide what resources or action the situation requires.
Giving someone CARTE BLANCHE means granting full discretionary power over what to do or how to proceed.
To give someone FREE REIN is to let that person act or make decisions with little or no constraint.
Someone with FULL AUTHORITY has the complete permission and power needed to make the relevant decisions.
Why this group was difficult
- BLANK CHECK has a literal financial reading
The phrase can describe a real signed check, so its figurative sense of open-ended permission may not be the first reading. - The wording shifts between freedom and power
FREE REIN emphasizes liberty, while FULL AUTHORITY emphasizes power, even though both can convey unrestricted permission. - Several other entries suggest rules or credentials
PIN NUMBER, SAT SCORE and CARD SLOT can pull attention toward finance, testing or access instead of permission phrases.
How to spot this pattern next time
Test whole-phrase paraphrases: if each candidate can be replaced by “complete freedom to decide or act,” the connection is precise enough to submit.
When a literal object such as a check distracts you, compare its common figurative use with the abstract senses of the other candidates.
Four useful facts behind the group
- BLANK CHECK can be literal or figurative, depending on whether an actual check is involved.
- CARTE BLANCHE ordinarily describes complete discretionary power granted by another person.
- FREE REIN is the established spelling of the expression about unrestricted liberty of action.
- FULL AUTHORITY combines authorization with the complete power needed to act or decide.
Questions players ask
The details people search after seeing the group
What connects BLANK CHECK, CARTE BLANCHE, FREE REIN and FULL AUTHORITY?
Each complete phrase can describe UNRESTRICTED PERMISSION: broad freedom or power to decide and act without preset limits.
Why does BLANK CHECK belong in the yellow group?
Beyond the literal banking document, BLANK CHECK commonly means open-ended authorization to use judgment, resources or power.
Is the puzzle phrase FREE REIN or FREE REIGN?
The board correctly uses FREE REIN, the established expression meaning unrestricted liberty to act or make decisions.
How can I recognize permission-phrase groups in future puzzles?
Paraphrase complete entries with the same short sentence and reject sets that depend only on loosely associated individual words.