LinkedIn Pinpoint #763 Answer for Tuesday, June 2, 2026

When you first jump into a game of Pinpoint, you’re looking for that one golden thread that ties a bunch of seemingly random words together. Today’s puzzle was a classic example of how the game nudges you from a specific category toward a more general physical property. It’s all about spotting the common denominator, and today, that denominator was a very specific visual trait.

Deep Clue Analysis

Crows

The Meaning of the Clue: Large, intelligent black birds known for their loud "caw" and their presence in folklore and myths around the world.

Ebony

The Meaning of the Clue: A very dense, heavy black wood that comes from various species of the Diospyros tree, often used for piano keys and fine furniture.

Ripe olives

The Meaning of the Clue: Olives that have been allowed to fully mature on the tree, naturally turning from green to a dark purple or deep black hue.

Charcoal

The Meaning of the Clue: A lightweight black carbon residue produced by heating wood or other organic materials in the absence of oxygen.

Asphalt

The Meaning of the Clue: A sticky, black, and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid form of petroleum, primarily used in road construction as a binder.

How we solved it based on the clues

When the first clue, Crows, popped up, my mind immediately went to "Birds." It’s the most logical starting point. I thought maybe the category was "Scavengers" or perhaps "Intelligent Animals." In Pinpoint, the first clue is often a bit of a trap because it's too broad. I almost typed in "Birds," but I held back, knowing the game usually requires a more specific link.

Then came Ebony. This changed the game. Ebony isn't a bird, so the "Animal" theory went right out the window. I started looking for a connection between a bird and a type of wood. My first thought was "Materials," but crows aren't materials. Then it hit me: both are famously, deeply black. I considered guessing "Dark colors," but that felt a little too vague for a second clue.

The third clue, Ripe olives, was the clincher. If the clue had just said "Olives," it could have meant green or black. But by specifying "Ripe," the puzzle was pointing directly at the color change. Green olives are unripe; ripe ones are black. Now I had a bird, a wood, and a fruit that all shared one unmistakable physical characteristic.

By the time Charcoal appeared as the fourth clue, I was 100% certain. Charcoal is synonymous with a deep, matte black. It’s the literal stuff of black sketches. There was no longer any doubt that we were looking for a color-based category rather than a functional one.

Finally, Asphalt was the victory lap. It’s the very definition of a black surface that we see every day. After looking at all five—a bird, a wood, a fruit, a fuel, and a road material—the only thing that could possibly unite them was their appearance. I confidently locked in the answer: "Things that are black."

Lessons Learned from this pinpoint

• Wait for the "Pivot" Clue: The first clue is almost always a distractor that fits into multiple categories. Don't waste your guesses on the most obvious category (like "Birds" for "Crows") until you see the second clue, which usually forces a "pivot" in your thinking.

• Look for Physical Properties: When the clues represent completely different industries or biological kingdoms (like a bird vs. a road material), the answer is almost always a shared physical property like color, shape, or texture rather than a functional group.

• Specificity Matters: Notice how the clue wasn't just "Olives," it was "Ripe olives." In Pinpoint, adjectives are huge hints. If the game adds a descriptive word, it’s because that word is necessary to narrow down the shared trait—in this case, the color change that happens during ripening.

• The "Common Ground" Test: Before submitting, run your guess through every clue. Does "Things that are black" work for a crow? Yes. For asphalt? Yes. If your guess doesn't perfectly fit even one clue, keep brainstorming.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why was the clue "Ripe olives" used instead of just "Olives"?
A: This is a classic Pinpoint tactic to ensure there is only one right answer. Green olives are unripe and wouldn't fit the "black" category. By specifying "Ripe," the puzzle creator ensures the logic remains airtight and points you directly toward the color black.

Q: Could the answer have been "Dark things" instead of "Things that are black"?
A: While "Dark things" is technically true, Pinpoint usually looks for the most specific commonality. Since all five items are specifically black (not just dark blue or dark brown), "Things that are black" or "Black" is the more accurate and expected category.

Q: Is "Ebony" always used to refer to color in these puzzles?
A: Not necessarily, but it's a very common "bridge" word. It can refer to the wood itself, the color, or even the culture. In this context, it served as the perfect bridge between a biological clue (Crows) and a material clue (Charcoal).

Q: How do I distinguish between a "Color" category and a "Material" category?
A: You look for the outlier. In this puzzle, Crows and Ripe Olives are biological, while Asphalt and Charcoal are materials/industrial. Because they don't share a material composition, the only remaining link is their visual appearance, which leads you to the color.

Q: What is the best strategy if I don't know what one of the words means?
A: If you didn't know what "Ebony" or "Asphalt" was, you should rely on the words you do know. If you know Crows, Ripe Olives, and Charcoal are all black, you can safely assume the unknown words also fit that pattern and make an educated guess based on the majority.