Permanent answer & walkthrough (Pinpoint Today archive)
Pinpoint Answer Today asks: what links apple, banana, orange, and grape â and what story do they share? Follow the spoiler-safe hints one by one, then reveal the final connection and see how each clue fits together.
apple banana orange grape â What connects apple, banana, orange, grape?
LinkedIn Pinpoint #553 Answer:
Detailed breakdown continues just below - keep scrolling
Todayâs LinkedIn Pinpoint opened with a seemingly straightforward pair: Gates and Lines. My mind immediately jumped to computing or mathematics, thinking of logical operators or geometric principles. But the third clue, Planes, started to feel a little too literal, and when Passengers appeared, that entire theory disintegrated. It became clear this wasnât about abstract concepts at all, but about a much more concrete, shared environment that weâve all likely experienced.
I have to admit, I went down the classic rabbit hole right at the start. Seeing Gates and Lines, my brain locked onto the world of computing. I was so sure I was onto something with âlogic gatesâ and âlines of code.â I even considered trying to submit âcomputer hardwareâ as a potential connector. But then Planes came along. It just didnât fit. A computer is a box, not a plane of existence. My theory was already on shaky ground.
The arrival of Passengers was the final nail in the coffin for my tech theory. It forced me to completely reset my thinking. I started looking for a new, more visual connection. I reconsidered Planes not as a geometric concept, but as the vehicle that carries passengers. That mental shift was my turning point. Suddenly, I wasnât in a digital world anymore; I was in a travel hub. Gates became boarding gates, Lines became check-in queues. This new theme held up perfectly. When Duty-free shops appeared as the final clue, it was just a confirmation of what Iâd already figured out.
Computer Programming Terms
This guess is tempting because 'Gates' can refer to logic gates and 'Lines' can mean lines of code. However, this technical theme fails when you try to apply it to 'Planes', 'Passengers', and 'Duty-free shops', which have no direct connection to programming. The theme breaks on three of the five clues.
Geometric Concepts
This idea seems plausible at first glance with 'Lines' and 'Planes', which are fundamental geometric shapes. It could also be stretched to include 'Gates' in a very abstract sense. But the connection completely falls apart with the very concrete clues 'Passengers' and 'Duty-free shops', making this theory invalid.
Words with Multiple Meanings
A common strategy is to look for words with various definitions, which all these clues certainly have. This is a 'meta' guess about the structure of the puzzle itself, not the actual connector. While true, it's too broad; Pinpoint requires a single, unifying theme, and 'multiple meanings' doesn't connect the five words in a meaningful way.
Grammar & flow: pairing the connector with Apple, Banana, Orange, and Grape produces everyday English and keeps number/tense intacta strong signal that "Things at airports" is the right lens for today's LinkedIn Pinpoint answer.
Coverage check: the same connector explains every clue without exceptions. Competing ideas either break on edge cases or demand awkward hyphenations, so "Things at airports" wins on simplicity and reach.
| Word | Origin | In Context (Usage) | Meaning & Usage |
|---|
Beware of Your First Impression
This puzzle is a masterclass in leading you down the wrong path. The first two clues, âGatesâ and âLinesâ, strongly suggest a technical or mathematical theme. Recognizing when the initial clues are a deliberate misdirection is key to solving the puzzle efficiently.
Let the Outliers Guide You
If your theory fits the first few clues but not the later ones, donât force it. The âoutlierâ cluesâin this case, âPassengersâ and âDuty-free shopsââare often the most important. They are designed to break your incorrect hypothesis and force you to find a more accurate connection.
Look for Shared Environments
Not every Pinpoint puzzle is about abstract concepts or wordplay. Sometimes the connection is a literal, shared location. If the clues feel like a collection of objects or people, ask yourself: âWhere would I find all of these things in the same place?â
The connector is âThings at airports.â For example, airports have boarding gates, security lines, and planes parked on the tarmac.
While âGatesâ (logic gates) and âLinesâ (lines of code) fit that theme, the other clues do not. âPlanes,â âPassengers,â and âDuty-free shopsâ have no clear connection to programming, so the theme fails on three of the five clues.
That would make the puzzle much harder and more ambiguous. âShopsâ exist everywhere. The specificity of âDuty-free shopsâ is a massive hint, as it points directly and uniquely to the environment of an international airport.
