purple group · The short answer
ENDING IN BIRDS
Each puzzle word passes the same exact test. The four mappings show how the answer works.
The final four consecutive letters of ALIBIS spell the bird name IBIS.
The final four consecutive letters of BALLOON spell the bird name LOON.
The final four consecutive letters of ESCROW spell the bird name CROW.
The final four consecutive letters of MOHAWK spell the bird name HAWK.
Why this group was difficult
- The surface meanings do not align
Excuses, an inflatable object, a financial arrangement and a hairstyle offer no useful shared semantic category. - Every hidden ending has four letters
The clean pattern is easy to miss until the final four letters are isolated consistently across multiple entries. - Some endings cross internal boundaries
The bird names are simply letter sequences at the ends, not separate visible words or meaningful components.
How to spot this pattern next time
If the remaining words have sharply unrelated meanings, inspect their spelling. Compare equal-length endings before searching for a broad semantic link.
Once one ending such as CROW becomes visible, test the same four-letter suffix length on every candidate rather than accepting looser bird references.
Four useful facts behind the group
- Every identified bird occupies the final four letters.
- The four bird endings are IBIS, LOON, CROW and HAWK.
- No rearrangement of letters is required for any entry.
- The complete board words retain their ordinary spellings.
Questions players ask
The details people search after seeing the group
Which bird is hidden in ALIBIS?
ALIBIS ends with the consecutive letters IBIS, which name a long-legged wading bird.
How does BALLOON fit ENDING IN BIRDS?
The final four letters of BALLOON are LOON, the name of an aquatic bird.
Where is the bird in ESCROW?
ESCROW ends in CROW, so the bird name appears directly as its final four letters.
Why is MOHAWK in the bird-ending group?
MOHAWK ends with HAWK, giving it the same four-letter ending pattern as the other entries.