2026-06-17
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Puzzle guide
Full breakdown using the Strategy coach format — answer, clue-by-clue analysis, and strategy notes.
Overview
LinkedIn Pinpoint #778 is the LinkedIn Pinpoint daily for June 17, 2026. Pinpoint is LinkedIn's category-guessing game: five clues share one hidden theme, and you get up to five guesses with optional hints on the board below. This page includes the live board, a solved-board view, and a step-by-step Solution walkthrough. Difficulty: Medium. Estimated solve time: 4–6 min. Read the explainer sections below for strategy, or jump straight into play.
Answer
Foods named for cities
This is a named collection puzzle — each clue is a member of Foods named for cities, not a loose thematic association.
Analysis
When "Gouda" appears alone, the teaching moment is patience. Students who guess from clue one often waste a reveal; better to collect more data first.
Clue two ("Frankfurters") teaches elimination: cross out categories that fit only the first row.
"Peking Duck" is the snap moment — ask whether one category label covers "Gouda", "Frankfurters", "Peking Duck" without stretching.
"Brussels sprouts" should feel like more of the same pattern, not a genre shift.
"New York Cheesecake" is the final exam for your guess. Strong answers feel obvious in hindsight.
The lesson: "Foods named for cities" is the label that survives every reveal. Teach yourself to hold guesses until the pattern repeats.
Clues
Connection to answer
Teaching point for "Gouda": Gouda is a specific proper example that belongs to the foods named for cities collection.
Solving role
Warm-up clue: Practice holding your guess — "Gouda" is not enough data.
Connection to answer
Teaching point for "Frankfurters": Frankfurters is a specific proper example that belongs to the foods named for cities collection.
Solving role
Hypothesis test: Ask whether your category explains "Frankfurters" the same way it explained earlier rows.
Connection to answer
Teaching point for "Peking Duck": Peking Duck is a specific proper example that belongs to the foods named for cities collection.
Solving role
Category snap: Ask whether your category explains "Peking Duck" the same way it explained earlier rows.
Connection to answer
Teaching point for "Brussels sprouts": Brussels sprouts is a specific proper example that belongs to the foods named for cities collection.
Solving role
Sanity check: Ask whether your category explains "Brussels sprouts" the same way it explained earlier rows.
Connection to answer
Teaching point for "New York Cheesecake": New York Cheesecake is a specific proper example that belongs to the foods named for cities collection.
Solving role
Final proof: Ask whether your category explains "New York Cheesecake" the same way it explained earlier rows.
Verification
Students should remember: "Foods named for cities" works because it is broad enough for every clue and specific enough to exclude wrong guesses. "Gouda", "Frankfurters", "Peking Duck", "Brussels sprouts", and "New York Cheesecake" each map to the category the same way — that consistency is what Pinpoint tests.
Solve path
With only "Gouda", many categories could fit. Hold your first guess and watch what clue 2 eliminates. "Gouda" and "Frankfurters" must share one repeatable link — not a coincidence between two words. By clue 3 ("Peking Duck"), "Foods named for cities" should explain all three without bending meanings. "Brussels sprouts" strengthens "Foods named for cities" rather than opening a new theory. The final clue ("New York Cheesecake") confirms "Foods named for cities" — if it still fits naturally, the category is locked.
Pattern
Each clue is a specific member of a defined collection — proper nouns, place names, or items that belong to one labeled group.
Learn more in Pinpoint Puzzle Strategies →Takeaways
After "Gouda", at least three categories still work. That is normal. The skill is waiting until the same rule repeats — here, that rule is "Foods named for cities".
If your guess fits "Gouda" and "Frankfurters" but fails on "Peking Duck", it is too narrow. If it fits everything loosely but never feels precise, it is too broad. "Foods named for cities" balances both.
"New York Cheesecake" is not a trick — it is an audit. Strong solvers re-read all five clues after the last reveal before submitting "Foods named for cities".
Practice
Solution
This puzzle asks you to find the single category linking five clues: Gouda, Frankfurters, Peking Duck, Brussels sprouts, and New York Cheesecake. The answer is Foods named for cities. Each clue is a specific member of a defined collection — proper nouns, place names, or items that belong to one labeled group. With only "Gouda", many categories could fit. Hold your first guess and watch what clue 2 eliminates. "Gouda" and "Frankfurters" must share one repeatable link — not a coincidence between two words. By clue 3 ("Peking Duck"), "Foods named for cities" should explain all three without bending meanings. "Brussels sprouts" strengthens "Foods named for cities" rather than opening a new theory. The final clue ("New York Cheesecake") confirms "Foods named for cities" — if it still fits naturally, the category is locked. Use the Solution tab above for an interactive clue-by-clue walkthrough, or the Solved board tab for the complete answer at a glance.