NYT Pips answers — Monday, October 26, 2026
The NYT Pips answers for Monday, October 26, 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 1 · · 1 · · 4 2 · · 6 5 5 6 1
Each domino and its squares
- 5–5 — 5 at row 4, column 1, 5 at row 4, column 2
- 6–4 — 6 at row 3, column 4, 4 at row 2, column 4
- 1–6 — 1 at row 4, column 4, 6 at row 4, column 3
- 2–1 — 2 at row 3, column 1, 1 at row 2, column 1
- 1–1 — 1 at row 1, column 1, 1 at row 1, column 2
Medium Pips answer
Pips row by row, top to bottom (· is a gap in the board)
3 1 1 · · 4 0 1 5 2 6 5 2 4 1 · · 5 · ·
Each domino and its squares
- 0–5 — 0 at row 2, column 2, 5 at row 3, column 2
- 1–3 — 1 at row 1, column 2, 3 at row 1, column 1
- 6–4 — 6 at row 3, column 1, 4 at row 2, column 1
- 2–5 — 2 at row 3, column 3, 5 at row 4, column 3
- 1–1 — 1 at row 1, column 3, 1 at row 2, column 3
- 4–5 — 4 at row 3, column 4, 5 at row 2, column 4
- 2–1 — 2 at row 2, column 5, 1 at row 3, column 5
Hard Pips answer
Pips row by row, top to bottom (· is a gap in the board)
· · · · · · · 5 4 · · · · · · 5 3 4 5 1 1 0 4 2 0 2 6 · 0 1 2 6 5 0 · 6 · 4 1 3 1 2 0 · 3 · 3 3 · · 6 0 · ·
Each domino and its squares
- 5–3 — 5 at row 1, column 8, 3 at row 2, column 8
- 5–2 — 5 at row 4, column 6, 2 at row 5, column 6
- 6–1 — 6 at row 4, column 5, 1 at row 5, column 5
- 0–6 — 0 at row 6, column 7, 6 at row 6, column 6
- 1–0 — 1 at row 3, column 3, 0 at row 3, column 4
- 4–0 — 4 at row 5, column 2, 0 at row 4, column 2
- 1–1 — 1 at row 4, column 3, 1 at row 5, column 3
- 2–3 — 2 at row 4, column 4, 3 at row 5, column 4
- 2–6 — 2 at row 3, column 8, 6 at row 3, column 9
- 0–0 — 0 at row 4, column 7, 0 at row 5, column 7
- 3–6 — 3 at row 5, column 9, 6 at row 4, column 9
- 5–1 — 5 at row 3, column 1, 1 at row 3, column 2
- 0–5 — 0 at row 3, column 7, 5 at row 2, column 7
- 2–4 — 2 at row 3, column 6, 4 at row 3, column 5
- 3–3 — 3 at row 6, column 2, 3 at row 6, column 3
- 4–4 — 4 at row 1, column 9, 4 at row 2, column 9
Rather solve it yourself?
Three hints per level, the last one placing the second domino.
Easy
The easy board runs 4 rows by 4 columns: 5 dominoes to place across 5 regions. You're working with 3 sum regions, 1 "all equal", 1 free region. Besides the opening move in Hint 1, 3 cells from row 1, column 1 must show the same number, and it turns out to be 1. The rack holds 2 doubles, 2 sixes.
Hint 1: where to start
A pair summing to 11 at row 4, column 2 can only be a 5 and a 6.
Hint 2: first domino
Place the 5–5 domino with its 5 at row 4, column 1 and its 5 at row 4, column 2.
Hint 3: second domino
Then put the 1–1 across row 1, column 1 and row 1, column 2; 3 dominoes to go.
Medium
Medium today is a 4×5 board with 7 dominoes and 10 regions. The mix is 2 sum regions, 1 "all equal", 2 "less than", 2 "greater than", 2 free regions. Another early foothold: 3 cells from row 1, column 2 must show the same number, and it turns out to be 1. Keep in mind that under 1 in total at row 2, column 2? That is all zeros. Rack check: 1 double, 1 blank half, 1 six.
Hint 1: where to start
Row 2, column 1 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
The 6–4 goes there: 6 on row 3, column 1, 4 on row 2, column 1.
Hint 3: second domino
Next, the 1–3 goes at row 1, column 2 → row 1, column 1. That leaves 5 dominoes, each with far fewer homes.
Hard
Hard today is a 6×9 board with 16 dominoes and 22 regions. By rule type: 17 sum regions, 2 "all equal", 1 "greater than", 2 free regions. Another early foothold: row 1, column 9 is a region of its own with target 4: that cell is a 4. Rack check: 4 doubles, 6 blank halves, 4 sixes.
Hint 1: where to start
A one-cell region at row 1, column 8 asks for 5, which fixes that cell outright. Only dominoes carrying a 5 can reach it.
Hint 2: first domino
First domino: 5–3, covering row 1, column 8 (5) and row 2, column 8 (3).
Hint 3: second domino
Second: 4–4 on row 1, column 9 and row 2, column 9. Check the other 14 against the regions they could still fill.