NYT Pips answers — Sunday, October 18, 2026
The NYT Pips answers for Sunday, October 18, 2026: the solved easy, medium and hard boards are below, with the squares of every domino listed and three hints per level if you would rather solve it yourself.
Easy Pips answer
Pips row by row, top to bottom (· is a gap in the board)
· · 1 4 5 1 1 · 1 1 6 · · · 3 4
Each domino and its squares
- 6–1 — 6 at row 3, column 3, 1 at row 2, column 3
- 4–3 — 4 at row 4, column 4, 3 at row 4, column 3
- 1–5 — 1 at row 2, column 2, 5 at row 2, column 1
- 1–1 — 1 at row 3, column 1, 1 at row 3, column 2
- 4–1 — 4 at row 1, column 4, 1 at row 1, column 3
Medium Pips answer
Pips row by row, top to bottom (· is a gap in the board)
5 4 · · · · 3 4 5 2 1 6 · 3 2 2 4 4 · 6 · · · ·
Each domino and its squares
- 6–3 — 6 at row 4, column 2, 3 at row 3, column 2
- 4–2 — 4 at row 3, column 5, 2 at row 3, column 4
- 6–4 — 6 at row 2, column 6, 4 at row 3, column 6
- 5–3 — 5 at row 1, column 1, 3 at row 2, column 1
- 2–1 — 2 at row 2, column 4, 1 at row 2, column 5
- 4–4 — 4 at row 1, column 2, 4 at row 2, column 2
- 2–5 — 2 at row 3, column 3, 5 at row 2, column 3
Hard Pips answer
Pips row by row, top to bottom (· is a gap in the board)
2 0 · · 6 · · 4 1 · 4 · 6 · · 6 4 · 3 · 6 2 2 2 2 3 · · · 2 2 · 3 · 1 · · 1 5 · 5 · 3 · · 2 3 · 6 3 · · · 4 0 ·
Each domino and its squares
- 6–3 — 6 at row 7, column 1, 3 at row 7, column 2
- 3–2 — 3 at row 4, column 2, 2 at row 4, column 1
- 6–2 — 6 at row 3, column 5, 2 at row 3, column 6
- 1–3 — 1 at row 5, column 3, 3 at row 6, column 3
- 2–0 — 2 at row 1, column 1, 0 at row 1, column 2
- 0–3 — 0 at row 7, column 7, 3 at row 6, column 7
- 1–4 — 1 at row 2, column 1, 4 at row 3, column 1
- 2–4 — 2 at row 6, column 6, 4 at row 7, column 6
- 3–4 — 3 at row 3, column 3, 4 at row 2, column 3
- 4–6 — 4 at row 1, column 8, 6 at row 2, column 8
- 6–6 — 6 at row 1, column 5, 6 at row 2, column 5
- 5–3 — 5 at row 6, column 1, 3 at row 5, column 1
- 2–5 — 2 at row 4, column 7, 5 at row 5, column 7
- 2–2 — 2 at row 3, column 7, 2 at row 3, column 8
- 2–1 — 2 at row 4, column 6, 1 at row 5, column 6
Rather solve it yourself?
Three hints per level, the last one placing the second domino.
Easy
The easy Pips has 10 cells to cover with 5 dominoes, split into 5 regions. By rule type: 3 sum regions, 1 "greater than", 1 free region. Besides the opening move in Hint 1, the pair at row 3, column 3 adds to 9. On the rack you have 1 double, 1 six; extremes like these usually have only one home.
Hint 1: where to start
A one-cell region at row 2, column 1 asks for 5, which fixes that cell outright. Only dominoes carrying a 5 can reach it.
Hint 2: first domino
First domino: 1–5, covering row 2, column 2 (1) and row 2, column 1 (5).
Hint 3: second domino
Second: 6–1 on row 3, column 3 and row 2, column 3. Check the other 3 against the regions they could still fill.
Medium
The medium board runs 4 rows by 6 columns: 7 dominoes to place across 7 regions. Rules on the board: 2 sum regions, 1 "all equal", 2 "less than", 1 "greater than". Besides the opening move in Hint 1, 3 cells from row 2, column 4 must show the same number, and it turns out to be 2. Keep in mind that the "<2" region at row 2, column 5 leaves almost no room: only 0s and a single 1 fit. The rack holds 1 double, 2 sixes.
Hint 1: where to start
The single cell at row 1, column 2 is marked 4, so it can only hold a 4. Find the domino with a 4 that fits there.
Hint 2: first domino
The 4–4 goes there: 4 on row 1, column 2, 4 on row 2, column 2.
Hint 3: second domino
Next, the 2–1 goes at row 2, column 4 → row 2, column 5. That leaves 5 dominoes, each with far fewer homes.
Hard
15 dominoes, 16 regions, a 7×8 grid: that's the hard puzzle for October 18, 2026. You're working with 5 sum regions, 2 "all equal", 5 "less than", 1 "greater than", 3 free regions. Another early foothold: the long "all equal" region at row 1, column 5 (3 cells) takes one number throughout. The rack holds 2 doubles, 2 blank halves, 5 sixes.
Hint 1: where to start
Row 6, column 1 is a region of its own with target 5: that cell is a 5. Only dominoes carrying a 5 can reach it.
Hint 2: first domino
First domino: 5–3, covering row 6, column 1 (5) and row 5, column 1 (3).
Hint 3: second domino
Second: 6–6 on row 1, column 5 and row 2, column 5. Check the other 13 against the regions they could still fill.