yellow group · The short answer
HINT
Each puzzle word passes the same exact test. The four mappings show how the answer works.
FLICKER can describe a brief, faint indication, as in a flicker of recognition or hope.
SUGGESTION can mean a subtle indication that a quality, condition or idea is present.
TRACE can mean a minute amount or sign that shows something exists or previously existed.
WHIFF can describe a slight sign of something, extending beyond its ordinary smell-related use.
Why this group was difficult
- The words use different kinds of imagery
Light, proposals, residue and smell initially make the four entries look semantically unrelated. - SUGGESTION has a dominant advice sense
Its familiar meaning as a proposed course of action can obscure its subtler indication sense. - FLICKER competes with FLASH
Both can refer to light, inviting a plausible pair that does not extend to an official quartet.
How to spot this pattern next time
When several nouns seem unrelated, place each in the frame “a ___ of something.” That construction can reveal a shared faint-indication sense.
Do not submit a vivid two-word pairing by itself. Verify that the same meaning applies naturally and specifically to all four proposed entries.
Four useful facts behind the group
- All four entries can function as nouns in the intended reading.
- TRACE is the clearest anchor for the small-indication sense.
- FLICKER and WHIFF reach the category through figurative extension.
- SUGGESTION works here as an indication, not merely a proposal.
Questions players ask
The details people search after seeing the group
Why are FLICKER, SUGGESTION, TRACE and WHIFF connected?
Each can mean or express a HINT, especially a faint sign that something is present.
How does FLICKER mean a HINT?
A flicker can be a brief, barely perceptible indication, such as a flicker of recognition.
Why is SUGGESTION in the HINT group?
Beyond meaning advice, SUGGESTION can denote a subtle indication or intimation of something.
Why does FLASH not belong with FLICKER?
Their light senses create a tempting pair, but FLASH cannot join the complete official HINT quartet.