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NYT Pips answers — Monday, May 4, 2026

Pips #260 · 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.

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Easy Pips answer — May 4, 2026

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

5 dominoes, 5 regions, a 4×5 grid — that's the easy puzzle for May 4, 2026. The mix is 2 sum regions, 1 "greater than", 2 free regions. Best foothold — three cells adding to 17 at row 2, column 4 needs big pips — at least one 6.. Rack check: 1 double, 2 sixes.

Hints

Hint 1 — where to start

Three cells adding to 17 at row 2, column 4 needs big pips — at least one 6.

Hint 2 — first domino

Place the 3–6 domino with its 3 at row 1, column 4 and its 6 at row 2, column 4.

Hint 3 — second domino

Next, the 2–1 goes at row 3, column 1 → row 3, column 2. From there the rest should fall into place.

Solution

Tap any cell to reveal its pips, or reveal the whole board. Region rules: 4 must add up to 4; 17 must add up to 17; >3 must add up to more than 3.

4
17
>3
Solution as text
  1. 4–6 — 4 at row 3, column 5, 6 at row 3, column 4
  2. 1–1 — 1 at row 2, column 3, 1 at row 3, column 3
  3. 5–1 — 5 at row 4, column 4, 1 at row 4, column 3
  4. 3–6 — 3 at row 1, column 4, 6 at row 2, column 4
  5. 2–1 — 2 at row 3, column 1, 1 at row 3, column 2

Medium Pips answer — May 4, 2026

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

Medium today is a 3×6 board with 7 dominoes and 8 regions. Rules on the board: 2 sum regions, 2 "all equal", 2 "greater than", 2 free regions. The way in: the "=" region starting at row 2, column 4 has 3 cells that must all match — every 1 in the puzzle should come here.. After that, two cells adding to more than 10 at row 2, column 1: that's 5+6 or 6+6 territory.. Rack check: 2 doubles, 2 blank halves, 2 sixes.

Hints

Hint 1 — where to start

The "=" region starting at row 2, column 4 has 3 cells that must all match — every 1 in the puzzle should come here.

Hint 2 — first domino

Place the 2–1 domino with its 2 at row 2, column 3 and its 1 at row 2, column 4.

Hint 3 — second domino

Next, the 6–0 goes at row 2, column 1 → row 1, 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: 2 must add up to 2; >3 must add up to more than 3; 6 must add up to 6; >10 must add up to more than 10; = must all be the same number.

2
>3
6
>10
=
=
Solution as text
  1. 2–1 — 2 at row 2, column 3, 1 at row 2, column 4
  2. 4–3 — 4 at row 1, column 5, 3 at row 1, column 6
  3. 6–3 — 6 at row 3, column 1, 3 at row 3, column 2
  4. 1–1 — 1 at row 2, column 5, 1 at row 3, column 5
  5. 2–2 — 2 at row 1, column 2, 2 at row 2, column 2
  6. 3–0 — 3 at row 2, column 6, 0 at row 3, column 6
  7. 6–0 — 6 at row 2, column 1, 0 at row 1, column 1

Hard Pips answer — May 4, 2026

8×7 board · 15 dominoes · 20 regions · by Rodolfo Kurchan

15 dominoes, 20 regions, a 8×7 grid — that's the hard puzzle for May 4, 2026. You're working with 11 sum regions, 3 "all equal", 2 "less than", 4 "greater than". The way in: the single cell at row 1, column 5 is marked 5, so it can only hold a 5. After that, the single cell at row 3, column 2 is marked 4, so it can only hold a 4. Rack check: 4 doubles, 2 blank halves, 4 sixes.

Hints

Hint 1 — where to start

The single cell at row 1, column 5 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 5–3 domino with its 5 at row 1, column 5 and its 3 at row 2, column 5.

Hint 3 — second domino

Next, the 4–1 goes at row 3, column 2 → row 2, column 2. From there the rest should fall into place.

Solution

Tap any cell to reveal its pips, or reveal the whole board. Region rules: <4 must add up to less than 4; >4 must add up to more than 4; 5 must add up to 5; >5 must add up to more than 5; = must all be the same number.

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

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