LinkedIn Pinpoint #628 Answer — January 18, 2026

🎯 Pinpoint 628 Answer & Full Analysis — January 18, 2026

This round of Pinpoint had me doing mental gymnastics, trying to connect seemingly disparate objects. At first, Elevators and Dress shirts hinted at a theme of structured environments or formal wear. But then Curling rinks crashed the party, making me wonder if it was about specific locations or niche activities. Things felt disjointed—like three entirely different puzzles mashed together.

The twist came when Calculators showed up. That immediately screamed "input devices" or "things with controls," and suddenly a physical feature was back on the table. By the time Bellys arrived, everything clicked into place. The common thread was a simple, yet pervasive, everyday item: buttons.

🧩 Step-by-Step Solving Process

When I saw Elevators, my brain went to control panels, floors, and the act of pressing something. It felt like a technical or architectural category, but I kept an open mind.

Then came Dress shirts. This immediately shifted my focus. Now I was thinking about clothing fasteners, formal attire, or perhaps items with multiple small components. The connection to elevators was completely lost, and confusion set in.

But the third clue, Curling rinks, completely threw me off. My immediate thought was the sport itself, ice, sweeping, and stones. This had absolutely no apparent connection to elevators or dress shirts. I was truly stumped, feeling like there were multiple themes at play.

The fourth clue, Calculators, was the breakthrough. Suddenly, the idea of "buttons" popped into my head. Calculators are full of them! This made me re-evaluate the previous clues. Elevators clearly have buttons for floor selection. Dress shirts have buttons for fastening. Could "Curling rinks" also relate to buttons? I knew there was a "button" in curling, referring to the center of the target. This felt like a strong candidate now.

Finally, Bellys arrived, and the puzzle was solved. The common idiom "belly button" confirmed the pattern beyond a doubt. All the clues, despite their initial disconnect, pointed directly to things associated with buttons.

🏆 Category: Pinpoint 628

Things that are associated with 'buttons'.

📋 Words & How They Fit

Word	Phrase / Example	Meaning & Usage
Elevators	Elevator buttons	Controls pressed to select floors
Dress shirts	Shirt buttons	Small fasteners used to close the front of the shirt
Curling rinks	The Button	The central target area in the sport of curling
Calculators	Calculator buttons	Keys pressed for numerical input and operations
Bellys	Belly button (or navel)	The small depression in the center of the abdomen

💡 Lessons Learned From Pinpoint 628

• Don't dismiss obscure connections — Some clues, like "Curling rinks," rely on specific terminology or lesser-known associations of the answer word.
• Look for physical features — Many puzzles revolve around shared physical attributes or components of objects.
• Consider idiomatic expressions — Phrases like "belly button" are often key to unlocking the pattern, especially when more literal meanings are less obvious.
• Spot the unifying object/concept — Once a common physical item or concept (like "buttons") appears to fit multiple clues, test it vigorously against all others.
• Embrace initial confusion — It's normal for early clues to seem unrelated; the turning point clue is what brings clarity.

❓ FAQ

Q1: What is 'the button' in curling? The 'button' is the very center of the target area on a curling sheet, which is the ultimate goal for players to get their stones closest to.

Q2: Are there other common phrases using 'button'? Yes, many! Examples include 'pushing someone's buttons' (to annoy them), 'button up' (to finish something), or 'hot button issue' (a controversial topic).

Q3: How can 'belly' relate to 'buttons'? 'Belly button' is a common colloquial term for the navel, the scar left on the abdomen after the umbilical cord is removed at birth.