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NYT Pips answers today — Wednesday, September 23, 2026

Pips #402 · Edited by Ian Livengood · Easy by Ian Livengood · Medium by Ian Livengood · Hard by Rodolfo Kurchan

Stuck on today's New York Times Pips? Below are three progressive hints for each difficulty, then the full solution as a tap-to-reveal board. Hints first — the answer only when you want it.

Jump to: Easy · Medium · Hard

Easy Pips answer — September 23, 2026

4×5 board · 5 dominoes · 7 regions · by Ian Livengood

5 dominoes, 7 regions, a 4×5 grid — that's the easy puzzle for September 23, 2026. You're working with 7 sum regions. The way in: the single cell at row 1, column 3 is marked 0, so it can only hold a 0. After that, the single cell at row 2, column 1 is marked 0, so it can only hold a 0. Rack check: 4 blank halves, 2 sixes.

Hints

Hint 1 — where to start

The single cell at row 1, column 3 is marked 0, so it can only hold a 0. Find the domino with a 0 that fits there.

Hint 2 — first domino

Place the 5–0 domino with its 5 at row 2, column 3 and its 0 at row 1, column 3.

Hint 3 — second domino

Next, the 6–0 goes at row 2, column 2 → row 2, column 1. From there the rest should fall into place.

Solution

Tap any cell to reveal its pips, or reveal the whole board. Region rules: 0 must add up to 0; 12 must add up to 12; 8 must add up to 8; 7 must add up to 7.

0
0
12
8
7
0
0
Solution as text
  1. 6–3 — 6 at row 3, column 2, 3 at row 3, column 3
  2. 6–0 — 6 at row 2, column 2, 0 at row 2, column 1
  3. 5–0 — 5 at row 2, column 3, 0 at row 1, column 3
  4. 4–0 — 4 at row 2, column 4, 0 at row 2, column 5
  5. 3–0 — 3 at row 3, column 4, 0 at row 4, column 4

Medium Pips answer — September 23, 2026

3×6 board · 7 dominoes · 8 regions · by Ian Livengood

The medium board runs 3 rows by 6 columns: 7 dominoes to place across 8 regions. The mix is 2 sum regions, 3 "all equal", 2 "less than", 1 free region. The single cell at row 3, column 4 is marked 5, so it can only hold a 5. After that, the "=" pair at row 1, column 1 needs two identical pips — a double, or matching halves from two dominoes.. Rack check: 3 blank halves, 2 sixes.

Hints

Hint 1 — where to start

The single cell at row 3, column 4 is marked 5, so it can only hold a 5. Find the domino with a 5 that fits there.

Hint 2 — first domino

Place the 5–2 domino with its 5 at row 3, column 4 and its 2 at row 3, column 3.

Hint 3 — second domino

Next, the 6–0 goes at row 1, column 1 → row 2, column 1. From there the rest should fall into place.

Solution

Tap any cell to reveal its pips, or reveal the whole board. Region rules: = must all be the same number; <3 must add up to less than 3; 3 must add up to 3; <6 must add up to less than 6; 5 must add up to 5.

=
=
<3
3
=
<6
5
Solution as text
  1. 3–5 — 3 at row 2, column 2, 5 at row 2, column 3
  2. 6–5 — 6 at row 1, column 2, 5 at row 1, column 3
  3. 5–0 — 5 at row 2, column 4, 0 at row 2, column 5
  4. 6–0 — 6 at row 1, column 1, 0 at row 2, column 1
  5. 5–1 — 5 at row 1, column 4, 1 at row 1, column 5
  6. 3–0 — 3 at row 2, column 6, 0 at row 1, column 6
  7. 5–2 — 5 at row 3, column 4, 2 at row 3, column 3

Hard Pips answer — September 23, 2026

10×7 board · 15 dominoes · 19 regions · by Rodolfo Kurchan

Hard today is a 10×7 board with 15 dominoes and 19 regions. Rules on the board: 7 sum regions, 5 "all equal", 3 "less than", 3 "greater than", 1 free region. Best foothold — the single cell at row 1, column 2 is marked 2, so it can only hold a 2. After that, the single cell at row 2, column 3 is marked 4, so it can only hold a 4. Rack check: 3 doubles, 5 blank halves, 7 sixes.

Hints

Hint 1 — where to start

The single cell at row 1, column 2 is marked 2, so it can only hold a 2. Find the domino with a 2 that fits there.

Hint 2 — first domino

Place the 5–2 domino with its 5 at row 1, column 1 and its 2 at row 1, column 2.

Hint 3 — second domino

Next, the 6–4 goes at row 3, column 3 → row 2, column 3. From there the rest should fall into place.

Solution

Tap any cell to reveal its pips, or reveal the whole board. Region rules: 11 must add up to 11; 2 must add up to 2; 4 must add up to 4; 0 must add up to 0; <4 must add up to less than 4.

11
2
4
0
<4
8
=
=
5
=
=
1
<2
<3
=
>3
>0
>1
Solution as text
  1. 1–1 — 1 at row 5, column 5, 1 at row 6, column 5
  2. 6–4 — 6 at row 3, column 3, 4 at row 2, column 3
  3. 3–0 — 3 at row 2, column 7, 0 at row 2, column 6
  4. 1–6 — 1 at row 10, column 3, 6 at row 9, column 3
  5. 4–5 — 4 at row 4, column 5, 5 at row 4, column 6
  6. 0–0 — 0 at row 8, column 2, 0 at row 9, column 2
  7. 5–2 — 5 at row 1, column 1, 2 at row 1, column 2
  8. 6–0 — 6 at row 9, column 4, 0 at row 8, column 4
  9. 5–1 — 5 at row 9, column 6, 1 at row 8, column 6
  10. 6–2 — 6 at row 9, column 5, 2 at row 10, column 5
  11. 5–3 — 5 at row 4, column 1, 3 at row 5, column 1
  12. 6–6 — 6 at row 4, column 3, 6 at row 5, column 3
  13. 3–1 — 3 at row 6, column 1, 1 at row 6, column 2
  14. 0–4 — 0 at row 2, column 5, 4 at row 3, column 5
  15. 6–3 — 6 at row 2, column 1, 3 at row 3, column 1

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