pinpoint

verb

pinpointed; pinpointing; pinpoints

transitive verb

1

: to locate or aim with great precision or accuracy

pinpoint a source

2

a

: to fix, determine, or identify with precision

pinpoint the cause

b

: to cause to stand out conspicuously : highlight

Synonyms of pinpoint

• identify
• find

Examples of pinpoint in a Sentence

They were finally able to pinpoint the cause of the fire.

He pinpointed the city on the map.

Rescuers were able to pinpoint where the lost girl was.

The military uses computer imaging to pinpoint targets.

Recent Examples on the Web

Within seconds, the map on the screen updates in real time, a marker pinpointing the caller’s location. —Walker Armstrong, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 June 2026

Future studies will aim to pinpoint the Altar Stone’s exact location of origin within the Orcadian Basin and map its transport journey in exquisite detail. —Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 6 June 2026

The paper also pinpoints a few technical challenges Debug will face. —Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 4 June 2026

Now, after years of experimenting with common bean plants in the lab and in the agricultural fields of Oaxaca, Mexico, Steinbrenner’s team pinpointed a single immune receptor that orchestrates its anti-caterpillar defense system. —Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 3 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1917, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for pinpoint

• adjoint
• anoint
• appoint
• checkpoint
• conjoint
• disjoint
• endpoint
• gunpoint
• midpoint
• nonpoint
• standpoint
• viewpoint

Kids Definition

pinpoint

1 of 3 noun

pin·​point ˈpin-ˌpȯint 

1

: the point of a pin

2

: an extremely small or sharp point

a pinpoint of light in the darkness

pinpoint

2 of 3 verb

: to locate or identify exactly

pinpoint your career interests

pinpoint

3 of 3 adjective

1

: extremely fine or exact

pinpoint accuracy

2

: located, fixed, or directed with great exactness