🦁 LinkedIn Pinpoint 669 Answer — Sea, Mountain, African, Cowardly, March comes in like a
Published: February 28, 2026 · Answer: Words that come before lion
The final clue is practically a sentence with a blank at the end. "March comes in like a ___." That's the proverb — "March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb." Lion. Done.
But rewind to the beginning, and I wasn't so sure.
"Sea" was my first clue. Sea... what? Seahorse? Seagull? Seal? I was listing marine animal prefixes. "Mountain" appeared next — mountain goat? Mountain lion? I flagged "mountain lion" as a possibility but wasn't committed.
"African" made me think of elephants, safaris, the continent. My running theory was "types of animals" — sea lion, mountain lion, African lion. Three for three. But I needed confirmation.
"Cowardly" was the aha moment. The Cowardly Lion from The Wizard of Oz. That's not a species — it's a character. So the pattern isn't types of lions, it's "___ lion" as a compound phrase.
Sea lion. Mountain lion. African lion. Cowardly lion. March comes in like a lion. Five different lions, five different contexts — from marine mammals to classic cinema to weather proverbs.
✅ Pinpoint 669 Answer
Words that come before lion
| Clue | Full Phrase | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| Sea | Sea lion | A marine mammal of the eared seal family, known for its loud bark and ability to walk on land using flippers, forming "sea lion" |
| Mountain | Mountain lion | A large wild cat species also known as cougar, puma, or panther, found throughout the Americas in mountainous regions, forming "mountain lion" |
| African | African lion | The iconic big cat species with a distinctive mane on males, native to sub-Saharan Africa and symbolizing strength and courage, forming "African lion" |
| Cowardly | Cowardly Lion | The beloved character from L. Frank Baum's The Wizard of Oz who joins Dorothy on her journey despite his fear, forming "Cowardly Lion" |
| March comes in like a | "March comes in like a lion" | A weather proverb describing March's arrival with fierce, lion-like storms before transitioning to gentle, lamb-like weather at month's end |
🐾 Key Strategies
- Track compound words early. By clue two, I had "sea lion" and "mountain lion" — both real compounds with "lion." That's a strong signal for a "before/after" puzzle. Anytime two clues both form natural phrases with the same word, immediately test that word against every remaining clue. Two matches is a hypothesis; three is a lock.
- Pop culture references are valid clues. The Cowardly Lion is a fictional character from The Wizard of Oz, not a real animal — but Pinpoint doesn't care. The puzzle includes anything that forms a recognized phrase. So don't dismiss a theory just because one clue is fictional; if "Cowardly Lion" is a famous phrase, it counts.
- Proverbs and idioms count. "March comes in like a lion" is a weather saying, not a physical thing you can point to. But Pinpoint treats idioms, proverbs, and set phrases as valid entries. When you see a clue that reads like an incomplete sentence or quote, mentally complete it — the missing word is probably your answer.
FAQ
Q1: Is a sea lion the same as a seal? No. Sea lions have external ear flaps, can rotate their hind flippers forward to walk on land, and are generally more agile. True seals lack visible ear flaps and move on land by wriggling on their bellies.
Q2: Where does the proverb "March comes in like a lion" come from? This saying dates back to at least the 17th century in England. It describes how early March weather is often fierce and stormy (like a lion), while late March tends to be milder (like a lamb).
Q3: Is a mountain lion the same as a cougar, puma, and panther? Yes — they're all the same species, Puma concolor. This animal holds the Guinness World Record for the mammal with the most common names, with over 40 different names in English alone.
Q4: Who played the Cowardly Lion in the 1939 film? Bert Lahr played the Cowardly Lion in the original 1939 film "The Wizard of Oz." His lion costume weighed about 100 pounds and was made from real lion pelts.
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