Pinpoint Answer 820
Pinpoint Answer
How to Solve it
- 1
Ordinary Names 🪪
Merry and Sam first look like personal names. That makes a general list of named people or fictional characters seem plausible.
- 2
Boromir Breaks It ⚔️
Boromir is too distinctive for that broad reading. The unusual name points to Tolkien's Middle-earth and to a specific group of quest companions.
- 3
The Quest Assembles 🧙
Frodo is the Ring-bearer, while Gandalf the Grey guides the quest. Along with Merry, Sam, and Boromir, all five belong to the Fellowship of the Ring.
Members of the Fellowship of the Ring.
Words & how they fit
- Merry
Meriadoc Brandybuck, a hobbit from the Shire
He joins Frodo's journey as one of his closest companions.
- Sam
Samwise Gamgee, Frodo's gardener and companion
He remains beside Frodo throughout the quest.
- Boromir
A warrior of Gondor
He represents Gondor among the Fellowship's members.
- Frodo
The Ring-bearer from the Shire
He carries the One Ring toward its destruction.
- Gandalf the Grey
A wizard who guides the quest
He helps form and lead the Fellowship.
| Word | Connection | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Merry | Meriadoc Brandybuck, a hobbit from the Shire | He joins Frodo's journey as one of his closest companions. |
| Sam | Samwise Gamgee, Frodo's gardener and companion | He remains beside Frodo throughout the quest. |
| Boromir | A warrior of Gondor | He represents Gondor among the Fellowship's members. |
| Frodo | The Ring-bearer from the Shire | He carries the One Ring toward its destruction. |
| Gandalf the Grey | A wizard who guides the quest | He helps form and lead the Fellowship. |
Recent Pinpoint Answers
The last 7 days of solutions
What connects Merry, Sam, Boromir, Frodo and Gandalf the Grey? That's Pinpoint #820, the LinkedIn puzzle from Wednesday, July 29th, 2026. Tap any clue above to open a nudge for that word, read the final hint if you want one more push, then reveal the category. Below the answer there's a full walkthrough: the wrong turn these clues invite, the clue that breaks it open, and what each word actually pairs with.
What connects Merry, Sam, Boromir, Frodo and Gandalf the Grey?
The answer to Pinpoint #820 is Members of the Fellowship of the Ring (J.R.R. Tolkien). Every clue in the set — Merry, Sam, Boromir, Frodo and Gandalf the Grey — belongs to “Members of the Fellowship of the Ring (J.R.R. Tolkien)”, which is the thread you're looking for.
If you got there in one or two clues, the giveaway was almost certainly Merry paired with Sam — that combination rules out most of the categories a single word could belong to. The clue-by-clue breakdown above the fold shows exactly where each word lands.
How Pinpoint works
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| Goal | Guess the category that connects all five clue words (for example, “Apple, Dell, Acer, HP” → computer brands). |
| Clues reveal one at a time | You start with one word and get another after each wrong guess, up to five — the fewer you need, the better your score. |
| Guesses | Type the category; the game tells you if you're right. You have a limited number of tries. |
| Reset | A new Pinpoint puzzle drops every day at midnight Pacific Time (3:00 a.m. Eastern). |
Solving a clue set like this one
- Put the first two clues side by side before guessing anything. Merry on its own fits a dozen categories; Merry plus Sam usually fits one or two.
- If your first theory dies on clue three, don't patch it — throw it out. A theory that needs an exception for one clue is the wrong theory.
- Check for a shared word before you check for a shared topic. Pinpoint loves sets where every clue sits in front of (or behind) the same hidden word.
- Say each clue out loud. Homophones and phrases hide in plain sight when you only read them.
How Pinpoint scoring works
You see one clue to start and earn another after every wrong guess, up to five. Solving on clue one is the best possible result and solving on clue five still counts as a win, so there's no reason to rush a guess you're not confident in — a wrong answer costs you a clue you can't get back.
Other Pinpoint clue sets
Every Pinpoint puzzle has its own page here, filed under its clue words. Use the calendar above to jump to another day, or open the main Pinpoint answers page for the current puzzle.
Frequently asked questions
What connects Merry, Sam, Boromir, Frodo and Gandalf the Grey?
They're all “Members of the Fellowship of the Ring (J.R.R. Tolkien)” — the answer to Pinpoint #820 from Wednesday, July 29th, 2026.
What was the Pinpoint #820 answer?
Members of the Fellowship of the Ring (J.R.R. Tolkien). The walkthrough under the answer explains why each of the five clues fits.
Why is Merry a clue for Members of the Fellowship of the Ring (J.R.R. Tolkien)?
The clue-by-clue table above gives the exact pairing for Merry, along with the other four clues in the set.
How do I see today's Pinpoint answer instead?
Open the main LinkedIn Pinpoint answers page — it always shows the current day's clues, hints, and answer, plus a countdown to the next puzzle.