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NYT Pips answers — Tuesday, March 17, 2026

Pips #212 · Edited by Ian Livengood · Easy by Ian Livengood · Medium by Rodolfo Kurchan · 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.

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Easy Pips answer — March 17, 2026

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

5 dominoes, 7 regions, a 4×4 grid — that's the easy puzzle for March 17, 2026. You're working with 4 sum regions, 1 "all equal", 2 free regions. The way in: the single cell at row 1, column 1 is marked 0, so it can only hold a 0. After that, the single cell at row 1, column 4 is marked 0, so it can only hold a 0. Rack check: 1 double, 4 blank halves.

Hints

Hint 1 — where to start

The single cell at row 1, column 1 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 1–0 domino with its 1 at row 2, column 1 and its 0 at row 1, column 1.

Hint 3 — second domino

Next, the 0–0 goes at row 1, column 4 → row 2, 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: 0 must add up to 0; 3 must add up to 3; 5 must add up to 5; = must all be the same number.

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

Medium Pips answer — March 17, 2026

5×5 board · 7 dominoes · 9 regions · by Rodolfo Kurchan

7 dominoes, 9 regions, a 5×5 grid — that's the medium puzzle for March 17, 2026. You're working with 2 sum regions, 1 "all equal", 3 "less than", 1 "greater than", 1 free region. The two-cell region at row 3, column 1 adds to 11: the only split is 5 + 6.. After that, the two-cell region at row 5, column 3 adds to 11: the only split is 5 + 6.. Rack check: 1 double, 2 blank halves, 4 sixes.

Hints

Hint 1 — where to start

The two-cell region at row 3, column 1 adds to 11: the only split is 5 + 6.

Hint 2 — first domino

Place the 6–5 domino with its 6 at row 3, column 1 and its 5 at row 4, column 1.

Hint 3 — second domino

Next, the 0–6 goes at row 5, column 2 → row 5, 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: >3 must add up to more than 3; <3 must add up to less than 3; ≠ must all be different; 11 must add up to 11; = must all be the same number.

>3
<3
≠
11
=
<3
<3
11
Solution as text
  1. 2–6 — 2 at row 2, column 2, 6 at row 2, column 3
  2. 1–1 — 1 at row 3, column 2, 1 at row 4, column 2
  3. 3–6 — 3 at row 2, column 4, 6 at row 1, column 4
  4. 0–3 — 0 at row 3, column 4, 3 at row 3, column 5
  5. 6–5 — 6 at row 3, column 1, 5 at row 4, column 1
  6. 5–2 — 5 at row 5, column 4, 2 at row 4, column 4
  7. 0–6 — 0 at row 5, column 2, 6 at row 5, column 3

Hard Pips answer — March 17, 2026

8×9 board · 16 dominoes · 18 regions · by Rodolfo Kurchan

16 dominoes, 18 regions, a 8×9 grid — that's the hard puzzle for March 17, 2026. You're working with 10 sum regions, 1 "all equal", 2 "less than", 2 "greater than", 3 free regions. The way in: the single cell at row 3, column 7 is marked 6, so it can only hold a 6. After that, the single cell at row 4, column 4 is marked 2, so it can only hold a 2. Rack check: 4 doubles, 3 blank halves, 6 sixes.

Hints

Hint 1 — where to start

The single cell at row 3, column 7 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 5–6 domino with its 5 at row 3, column 6 and its 6 at row 3, column 7.

Hint 3 — second domino

Next, the 6–2 goes at row 4, column 3 → row 4, 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; 3 must add up to 3; <2 must add up to less than 2; = must all be the same number; >2 must add up to more than 2.

6
3
<2
=
6
>2
18
2
6
<2
10
8
2
1
>9
Solution as text
  1. 4–1 — 4 at row 6, column 4, 1 at row 7, column 4
  2. 6–2 — 6 at row 4, column 3, 2 at row 4, column 4
  3. 5–5 — 5 at row 3, column 4, 5 at row 3, column 5
  4. 1–1 — 1 at row 2, column 8, 1 at row 2, column 9
  5. 2–5 — 2 at row 6, column 2, 5 at row 6, column 3
  6. 3–6 — 3 at row 4, column 1, 6 at row 4, column 2
  7. 1–2 — 1 at row 2, column 7, 2 at row 2, column 6
  8. 6–0 — 6 at row 5, column 2, 0 at row 5, column 1
  9. 4–5 — 4 at row 5, column 4, 5 at row 5, column 3
  10. 2–3 — 2 at row 6, column 6, 3 at row 5, column 6
  11. 5–0 — 5 at row 3, column 3, 0 at row 3, column 2
  12. 2–2 — 2 at row 1, column 6, 2 at row 1, column 7
  13. 6–6 — 6 at row 8, column 4, 6 at row 8, column 5
  14. 5–3 — 5 at row 4, column 5, 3 at row 4, column 6
  15. 0–4 — 0 at row 6, column 5, 4 at row 5, column 5
  16. 5–6 — 5 at row 3, column 6, 6 at row 3, column 7

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