NYT Pips HelperWednesday, August 26, 2026
Hints, answers & a solver for the New York Times Pips puzzle
Today's hintHint archiveAll answers

Pips hints — Tuesday, July 7, 2026

An archived puzzle. Pick your difficulty for a spoiler-safe nudge, then reveal the full board if you want it.

Tuesday, July 7, 2026Archived board

The Easy grid runs to 5 regions and 5 tiles, with greater-than, all-equal and target-sum rules in play. We give you a light nudge first — enough to get unstuck without spoiling the fun — and the full answer only when you ask for it.

Hint 1 — where to start

Easy
Your way in today is the orange region: one cell that must be exactly 1. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Easy
Place the 0–1 domino down column 3, rows 2–3. It is the only tile that works there, because orange must add up to exactly 1. The 0 half sits in the green region, which must show the same number on every cell.
Reveal the full Easy answer

Easy solution — July 7, 2026

22
00
01
25
23

blue (>3): 5 | purple (=): 2 · 2 · 2 · 2 | green (=): 0 · 0 · 0 | amber: 3 | orange (=1): 1

Prefer to watch it worked out step by step? Try the Pips Solver.

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue>3 — Be more than 31
Purple= — Show the same number on every cell4
Green= — Show the same number on every cell3
AmberTake any value it likes1
Orange1 — Be exactly 11

The Medium grid runs to 9 regions and 7 tiles, with target-sum, all-equal, greater-than and less-than rules in play. We give you a light nudge first — enough to get unstuck without spoiling the fun — and the full answer only when you ask for it.

Hint 1 — where to start

Medium
Your way in today is the blue region: one cell that must be exactly 1. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Medium
Place the 1–0 domino down column 4, rows 1–2. It is the only tile that works there, because blue must add up to exactly 1. The 1 half sits in the blue region, which must be exactly 1.

Hint 3

Medium
The 1–1 belongs down column 1, rows 3–4. It is the only tile that works there, because orange must add up to exactly 3.
Reveal the full Medium answer

Medium solution — July 7, 2026

65
10
54
02
11
44
32

blue (=1): 1 | purple (=): 5 · 5 | green: 6 | amber (=): 0 · 0 | orange (=3): 1 · 2 | slate (>0): 2 | teal (<6): 4 | pink (=4): 1 · 3 | lime (=): 4 · 4

Prefer to watch it worked out step by step? Try the Pips Solver.

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue1 — Be exactly 11
Purple= — Show the same number on every cell2
GreenTake any value it likes1
Amber= — Show the same number on every cell2
Orange3 — Add up to exactly 32
Slate>0 — Be more than 01
Teal<6 — Be less than 61
Pink4 — Add up to exactly 42
Lime= — Show the same number on every cell2

The Hard grid runs to 27 regions and 16 tiles, with target-sum and all-equal rules in play. We give you a light nudge first — enough to get unstuck without spoiling the fun — and the full answer only when you ask for it.

Hard is where most players get stuck.We break it into small, spoiler-safe nudges so you can stop the moment you’re unstuck.

Hint 1 — where to start

Hard
Your way in today is the blue region: one cell that must be exactly 0. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Hard
Place the 0–5 domino down column 1, rows 1–2. It is the only tile that works there, because blue must add up to exactly 0. The 0 half sits in the blue region, which must be exactly 0.

Hint 3

Hard
The 1–3 belongs down column 4, rows 7–8. It is the only tile that works there, because amber must add up to exactly 1. The 1 half sits in the amber region, which must be exactly 1.

Hint 4

Hard
There is exactly one home for the 0–1: down column 2, rows 1–2. It is the only tile that works there, because purple must add up to exactly 0. The 0 half sits in the purple region, which must be exactly 0.
Reveal the full Hard answer

Hard solution — July 7, 2026

01
02
03
04
05
12
13
14
15
23
24
25
34
35
45
36

blue (=0): 0 | purple (=0): 0 | green (=2): 2 | amber (=0): 0 | orange (=5): 5 | slate (=7): 1 · 6 | teal (=4): 4 | pink (=3): 3 | lime (=5): 5 | brown (=3): 3 | blue (=0): 0 | purple (=3): 3 | green (=2): 2 | amber (=4): 4 | orange (=3): 3 | slate: 0 | teal (=1): 1 | pink (=): 5 · 5 | lime (=): 2 · 2 · 2 | brown (=4): 4 | blue (=4): 4 | purple (=7): 3 · 4 | green (=1): 1 | amber (=1): 1 | orange (=1): 1 | slate (=5): 5 | teal (=3): 3

Prefer to watch it worked out step by step? Try the Pips Solver.

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue0 — Be exactly 01
Purple0 — Be exactly 01
Green2 — Be exactly 21
Amber0 — Be exactly 01
Orange5 — Be exactly 51
Slate7 — Add up to exactly 72
Teal4 — Be exactly 41
Pink3 — Be exactly 31
Lime5 — Be exactly 51
Brown3 — Be exactly 31
Blue0 — Be exactly 01
Purple3 — Be exactly 31
Green2 — Be exactly 21
Amber4 — Be exactly 41
Orange3 — Be exactly 31
SlateTake any value it likes1
Teal1 — Be exactly 11
Pink= — Show the same number on every cell2
Lime= — Show the same number on every cell3
Brown4 — Be exactly 41
Blue4 — Be exactly 41
Purple7 — Add up to exactly 72
Green1 — Be exactly 11
Amber1 — Be exactly 11
Orange1 — Be exactly 11
Slate5 — Be exactly 51
Teal3 — Be exactly 31
← Jul 6 All hintsFull answers for this dayJul 8 →