Grid Puzzles › Pips › NYT Pips answers

NYT Pips answers — Sunday, May 17, 2026

Pips #273 · 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.

Jump to: Easy · Medium · Hard

Easy Pips answer — May 17, 2026

3×5 board · 5 dominoes · 6 regions · by Ian Livengood

5 dominoes, 6 regions, a 3×5 grid — that's the easy puzzle for May 17, 2026. You're working with 2 sum regions, 1 "all equal", 2 "greater than", 1 free region. The way in: the single cell at row 3, column 1 is marked 4, so it can only hold a 4. After that, the single cell marked ">5" at row 1, column 2 must be a 6.. Rack check: 1 double, 1 six.

Hints

Hint 1 — where to start

The single cell at row 3, 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 4–4 domino with its 4 at row 3, column 1 and its 4 at row 3, column 2.

Hint 3 — second domino

Next, the 4–6 goes at row 2, column 2 → row 1, 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: >5 must add up to more than 5; = must all be the same number; 9 must add up to 9; >2 must add up to more than 2; 4 must add up to 4.

>5
=
9
>2
4
Solution as text
  1. 3–4 — 3 at row 2, column 4, 4 at row 2, column 3
  2. 4–2 — 4 at row 1, column 5, 2 at row 2, column 5
  3. 4–6 — 4 at row 2, column 2, 6 at row 1, column 2
  4. 4–4 — 4 at row 3, column 1, 4 at row 3, column 2
  5. 5–4 — 5 at row 1, column 4, 4 at row 1, column 3

Medium Pips answer — May 17, 2026

4×6 board · 7 dominoes · 10 regions · by Rodolfo Kurchan

Medium today is a 4×6 board with 7 dominoes and 10 regions. Rules on the board: 2 sum regions, 2 "all equal", 2 "less than", 2 "greater than", 2 free regions. The way in: the single cell marked ">5" at row 4, column 3 must be a 6.. After that, the "<2" region at row 3, column 3 leaves almost no room: only 0s and a single 1 can go here.. Rack check: 1 blank half, 3 sixes.

Hints

Hint 1 — where to start

The single cell marked ">5" at row 4, column 3 must be a 6.

Hint 2 — first domino

Place the 0–6 domino with its 0 at row 4, column 4 and its 6 at row 4, column 3.

Hint 3 — second domino

Next, the 5–1 goes at row 2, column 3 → row 3, 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: = must all be the same number; <2 must add up to less than 2; 10 must add up to 10; >4 must add up to more than 4; >5 must add up to more than 5.

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

Hard Pips answer — May 17, 2026

6×9 board · 13 dominoes · 13 regions · by Rodolfo Kurchan

The hard board runs 6 rows by 9 columns: 13 dominoes to place across 13 regions. Rules on the board: 7 sum regions, 3 "all equal", 2 free regions. The way in: the single cell at row 1, column 3 is marked 6, so it can only hold a 6. After that, the single cell at row 3, column 2 is marked 4, so it can only hold a 4. Rack check: 2 doubles, 3 blank halves, 7 sixes.

Hints

Hint 1 — where to start

The single cell at row 1, column 3 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 2–6 domino with its 2 at row 2, column 3 and its 6 at row 1, column 3.

Hint 3 — second domino

Next, the 4–2 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: 6 must add up to 6; = must all be the same number; ≠ must all be different; 5 must add up to 5; 4 must add up to 4.

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

Want more than three a day?

Grid Puzzles has an unlimited Pips-style mode with easy, medium and hard boards, plus a daily puzzle with a permanent archive. Every board has exactly one solution.

Play unlimited PipsHow to play Pips

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.