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NYT Pips answers — Wednesday, August 20, 2025
Pips #3 · Edited by Ian Livengood · Easy by Rodolfo Kurchan · 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.
Easy Pips answer — August 20, 2025
2×4 board · 4 dominoes · 5 regions · by Rodolfo Kurchan
The easy board runs 2 rows by 4 columns: 4 dominoes to place across 5 regions. The mix is 3 sum regions, 2 free regions. Best foothold — the single cell at row 2, column 1 is marked 4, so it can only hold a 4. After that, three cells adding to 0 at row 1, column 2 means mostly zeros. Rack check: 1 double, 3 blank halves, 1 six.
Hints
Hint 1 — where to start
The single cell at row 2, column 1 is marked 4, so it can only hold a 4. Find the domino with a 4 that fits there.
Hint 2 — first domino
Place the 4–6 domino with its 4 at row 2, column 1 and its 6 at row 1, column 1.
Hint 3 — second domino
Next, the 0–0 goes at row 1, column 2 → row 1, 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: 0 must add up to 0; 4 must add up to 4; 2 must add up to 2.
Solution as text
6 0 0 0 4 5 1 1
- 0–0 — 0 at row 1, column 2, 0 at row 1, column 3
- 4–6 — 4 at row 2, column 1, 6 at row 1, column 1
- 1–0 — 1 at row 2, column 4, 0 at row 1, column 4
- 5–1 — 5 at row 2, column 2, 1 at row 2, column 3
Medium Pips answer — August 20, 2025
4×4 board · 5 dominoes · 5 regions · by Ian Livengood
Medium today is a 4×4 board with 5 dominoes and 5 regions. Rules on the board: 3 sum regions, 2 "all equal". Best foothold — the single cell at row 2, column 2 is marked 2, so it can only hold a 2. After that, the single cell at row 4, column 1 is marked 3, so it can only hold a 3. Rack check: 3 doubles, 4 sixes.
Hints
Hint 1 — where to start
The single cell at row 2, 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 6–2 domino with its 6 at row 3, column 2 and its 2 at row 2, column 2.
Hint 3 — second domino
Next, the 6–3 goes at row 4, column 2 → row 4, 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; 2 must add up to 2; 3 must add up to 3.
Solution as text
· · 3 1 · 2 3 1 · 6 6 6 3 6 · ·
- 3–3 — 3 at row 1, column 3, 3 at row 2, column 3
- 6–6 — 6 at row 3, column 3, 6 at row 3, column 4
- 6–3 — 6 at row 4, column 2, 3 at row 4, column 1
- 6–2 — 6 at row 3, column 2, 2 at row 2, column 2
- 1–1 — 1 at row 1, column 4, 1 at row 2, column 4
Hard Pips answer — August 20, 2025
9×6 board · 9 dominoes · 9 regions · by Rodolfo Kurchan
9 dominoes, 9 regions, a 9×6 grid — that's the hard puzzle for August 20, 2025. You're working with 3 sum regions, 3 "all equal", 3 free regions. The single cell at row 1, column 1 is marked 6, so it can only hold a 6. After that, the "=" region starting at row 5, column 4 has 4 cells that must all match — every 5 in the puzzle should come here.. Rack check: 3 doubles, 5 sixes.
Hints
Hint 1 — where to start
The single cell at row 1, column 1 is marked 6, so it can only hold a 6. Find the domino with a 6 that fits there.
Hint 2 — first domino
Place the 1–6 domino with its 1 at row 2, column 1 and its 6 at row 1, column 1.
Hint 3 — second domino
Next, the 2–5 goes at row 5, column 3 → row 5, column 4. From there the rest should fall into place.
Solution
Tap any cell to reveal its pips, or reveal the whole board. Region rules: 6 must add up to 6; 2 must add up to 2; 4 must add up to 4; = must all be the same number.
Solution as text
6 · · · · · 1 · · · · · 1 · · · · · 2 · · · · · 3 2 2 5 5 5 6 · · · · 5 4 · · · · 6 4 · · · · 6 4 · · · · 6
- 2–1 — 2 at row 4, column 1, 1 at row 3, column 1
- 2–3 — 2 at row 5, column 2, 3 at row 5, column 1
- 4–6 — 4 at row 7, column 1, 6 at row 6, column 1
- 1–6 — 1 at row 2, column 1, 6 at row 1, column 1
- 4–4 — 4 at row 8, column 1, 4 at row 9, column 1
- 6–6 — 6 at row 8, column 6, 6 at row 9, column 6
- 5–5 — 5 at row 5, column 5, 5 at row 5, column 6
- 2–5 — 2 at row 5, column 3, 5 at row 5, column 4
- 6–5 — 6 at row 7, column 6, 5 at row 6, column 6
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Pips is a game by The New York Times. This page is an independent solving guide and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by The New York Times Company. Puzzle layouts are described here for the purpose of commentary and help.