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NYT Pips answers — Monday, September 28, 2026

Pips #407 · Edited by Ian Livengood · Easy by Ian Livengood · Medium by Rodolfo Kurchan · Hard by Rodolfo Kurchan

Written by the Grid Puzzles solver, spot-checked by hand · Updated September 28, 2026, 07:02 UTC · How these pages are made

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

Also today: LinkedIn games answers — Zip, Pinpoint, Crossclimb, Mini Sudoku, Patches and Wend.

Easy Pips answer — September 28, 2026

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

The easy Pips has 10 cells to cover with 5 dominoes, split into 6 regions. The mix is 3 sum regions, 2 "all equal", 1 "less than". Besides the opening move in Hint 1, under 2 in total at row 1, column 1? Zeros, plus at most one 1. Keep in mind that at row 2, column 1 two cells must match. Rack check: 2 doubles, 2 blank halves, 1 six.

Hints

Hint 1: where to start

Row 5, column 4 is a region of its own with target 2: that cell is a 2. Find the domino with a 2 that fits there.

Hint 2: first domino

The 2–5 goes there: 2 on row 5, column 4, 5 on row 4, column 4.

Hint 3: second domino

Next, the 1–4 goes at row 1, column 1 → row 2, column 1. That leaves 3 dominoes, each with far fewer homes.

Solution

Tap any cell to reveal its pips, or reveal the whole board. Region rules: <2 must add up to less than 2; = must all be the same number; 10 must add up to 10; 8 must add up to 8; 2 must add up to 2.

<2
=
10
=
8
2
Solution as text
  1. 0–0 — 0 at row 3, column 5, 0 at row 4, column 5
  2. 4–4 — 4 at row 2, column 2, 4 at row 3, column 2
  3. 1–4 — 1 at row 1, column 1, 4 at row 2, column 1
  4. 2–5 — 2 at row 5, column 4, 5 at row 4, column 4
  5. 6–3 — 6 at row 3, column 3, 3 at row 4, column 3

Medium Pips answer — September 28, 2026

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

The medium Pips has 14 cells to cover with 7 dominoes, split into 7 regions. The mix is 2 sum regions, 1 "less than", 3 "greater than", 1 free region. Besides the opening move in Hint 1, row 2, column 4 is a region of its own with target 0: that cell is a 0. The rack holds 1 blank half, 1 six.

Hints

Hint 1: where to start

A one-cell region at row 1, column 3 asks for 4, which fixes that cell outright. Only dominoes carrying a 4 can reach it.

Hint 2: first domino

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

Hint 3: second domino

Then put the 0–4 across row 2, column 4 and row 3, column 4; 5 dominoes to go.

Solution

Tap any cell to reveal its pips, or reveal the whole board. Region rules: >1 must add up to more than 1; 4 must add up to 4; >10 must add up to more than 10; 0 must add up to 0; >18 must add up to more than 18.

>1
4
>10
0
>18
<8
Solution as text
  1. 4–5 — 4 at row 3, column 3, 5 at row 4, column 3
  2. 4–3 — 4 at row 1, column 3, 3 at row 2, column 3
  3. 0–4 — 0 at row 2, column 4, 4 at row 3, column 4
  4. 1–3 — 1 at row 4, column 5, 3 at row 4, column 4
  5. 5–3 — 5 at row 2, column 2, 3 at row 3, column 2
  6. 4–1 — 4 at row 1, column 1, 1 at row 1, column 2
  7. 3–6 — 3 at row 5, column 4, 6 at row 5, column 3

Hard Pips answer — September 28, 2026

7×5 board · 14 dominoes · 12 regions · by Rodolfo Kurchan

14 dominoes, 12 regions, a 7×5 grid: that's the hard puzzle for September 28, 2026. You're working with 7 sum regions, 2 "all equal", 3 "greater than". The single cell at row 5, column 2 is marked 4, so it can only hold a 4. The rack holds 4 doubles, 3 blank halves, 2 sixes.

Hints

Hint 1: where to start

Row 4, column 2 is a region of its own with target 4: that cell is a 4. Only dominoes carrying a 4 can reach it.

Hint 2: first domino

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

Hint 3: second domino

Then put the 2–2 across row 6, column 1 and row 6, column 2; 12 dominoes to go.

Solution

Tap any cell to reveal its pips, or reveal the whole board. Region rules: = must all be the same number; 7 must add up to 7; 8 must add up to 8; >4 must add up to more than 4; 1 must add up to 1.

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