What connects Sweet wine, Video game port, Harbor town, Hardware interface, and the left side of an aircraft?
Each clue is a natural phrase containing the same word—'port'—showing different meanings.
💡 Hover (desktop) or tap (mobile) each clue to see how it connects to the answer
LinkedIn Pinpoint #586 Answer:
Detailed breakdown continues just below - keep scrolling
Pinpoint #586 Walkthrough & Analysis
Puzzle Overview
Today's board is a tour of one word wearing many hats. Sweet wine suggests food and drink, Harbor town points to geography, Hardware interface drags you into computing, while Left side (of an aircraft) feels nautical or aviation-specific. The link isn't a category; it's a shared word meaning: they are all senses of "port".
How the Solution Emerged
The early clues feel incompatible: wine vs city vs hardware. The pivot is to test a simple substitution: replace each clue with a phrase containing the same headword. 'Port wine', 'port city', 'USB port', and 'port side' all click. The clue about games points to 'porting'—adapting a game to a new platform—which fits the same headword. The solution emerges when you stop chasing a single category and instead map the same word across domains.
💡 The Correct Connections
Once the answer was revealed, everything made perfect sense. Here's how each clue connects:
- Sweet wine (Port wine): A fortified sweet wine originating from Portugal.
- Video game port (Port a game): Adapt a game to run on a different platform.
- Harbor town (Port city): A city with a harbor used for shipping and trade.
- Hardware interface (USB/HDMI port): A physical interface where devices connect.
- Left side (of an aircraft) (Port side): The left-hand side of a ship or aircraft when facing forward.
Lessons Learned from Pinpoint #586
- 1
Test simple substitutions
Replace each clue with a natural phrase using the same headword to reveal polysemy.
- 2
Avoid over-narrow categories
If some clues fit a niche but others don't, consider a multi-sense word link.
- 3
Map meanings across domains
Words like 'port' span food, places, tech, and travel—check broad senses.
- 4
Think about homonyms
Often the connection is a single word (like 'port') that has distinct, unrelated definitions across different fields.
FAQ
Why isn't 'Harbors' the answer?
It excludes Port wine and USB/HDMI ports. The connector is the word 'port' across domains.
How can I spot multi-sense connectors faster?
Try substituting a shared headword into natural phrases and see if all clues click cleanly.
Does 'port' always mean left?
Only in navigation (ships/planes). In computing or wine, the direction is irrelevant, which hints that the word itself is the key.