LinkedIn Pinpoint 861 Answer & Analysis
Pinpoint Answer
Editorially verified for the Sep 8, 2026
Words & how they fit
Each clue and why it belongs in the category
- Crust
The outermost rocky layer
This is Earth’s thin outer shell.
- Mantle
The hot rocky layer beneath the crust
This thick layer lies between the crust and core.
- Core (mostly iron and nickel)
The metallic center, mainly iron and nickel
Earth’s core forms its innermost region.
- Tectonic plates
Moving slabs of crust and uppermost mantle
These rigid plates make up Earth’s shifting outer shell.
- Magnetic poles (North+South)
Opposite points defined by Earth’s magnetic field
The north and south magnetic poles mark the field’s directional ends.
| Word | Connection | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Crust | The outermost rocky layer | This is Earth’s thin outer shell. |
| Mantle | The hot rocky layer beneath the crust | This thick layer lies between the crust and core. |
| Core (mostly iron and nickel) | The metallic center, mainly iron and nickel | Earth’s core forms its innermost region. |
| Tectonic plates | Moving slabs of crust and uppermost mantle | These rigid plates make up Earth’s shifting outer shell. |
| Magnetic poles (North+South) | Opposite points defined by Earth’s magnetic field | The north and south magnetic poles mark the field’s directional ends. |
How to Solve it
A step-by-step walkthrough of this puzzle
- 1
Crust Mantle Core 🌍
Crust, mantle, and core strongly suggest the Earth’s three main layers. The parenthetical detail about iron and nickel also fits the core’s composition.
- 2
Tectonic Plates Shift 🪨
Tectonic plates are not a separate concentric layer like the crust, mantle, or core. They are moving slabs made from the crust and uppermost mantle, pointing instead to major physical parts of Earth.
- 3
Poles Confirm It 🧭
Magnetic poles are another major feature of Earth, created by its magnetic field rather than by its layered structure. All five clues name parts or physical features of the planet.
Major parts and physical features of Earth.
Recent Pinpoint Answers
The last 7 days of solutions
What connects Crust, Mantle, Core (mostly iron and nickel), Tectonic plates and Magnetic poles (North+South)? That's Pinpoint #861, the LinkedIn puzzle from Tuesday, September 8th, 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 Crust, Mantle, Core (mostly iron and nickel), Tectonic plates and Magnetic poles (North+South)?
The answer to Pinpoint #861 is Parts of the Earth. Every clue in the set — Crust, Mantle, Core (mostly iron and nickel), Tectonic plates and Magnetic poles (North+South) — belongs to “Parts of the Earth”, which is the thread you're looking for.
If you got there in one or two clues, the giveaway was almost certainly Crust paired with Mantle — 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. Crust on its own fits a dozen categories; Crust plus Mantle 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 Crust, Mantle, Core (mostly iron and nickel), Tectonic plates and Magnetic poles (North+South)?
They're all “Parts of the Earth” — the answer to Pinpoint #861 from Tuesday, September 8th, 2026.
What was the Pinpoint #861 answer?
Parts of the Earth. The walkthrough under the answer explains why each of the five clues fits.
Why is Crust a clue for Parts of the Earth?
The clue-by-clue table above gives the exact pairing for Crust, 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.