NYT Pips Answer Yesterday — Wednesday, September 9, 2026
Puzzle #1260 • Difficulty 7/10
Yesterday's NYT Pips Answer
Yesterday's NYT Pips Puzzle
Click a domino to reveal its placement
Deep Dive
Grid Dimensions
| Difficulty | Grid | Dominoes | Cells |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easy | 4×3 | 5 | 10 |
| Medium | 5×5 | 7 | 14 |
| Hard | 9×9 | 14 | 28 |
Constraint Breakdown (Medium)
Domino Pool (Medium)
Total pip count
50
Average per domino
7.1
Highest domino
[5|6] = 11
Lowest domino
[0|3] = 3
Constructor
Created by: [object Object]
Puzzle Analysis
The Pips puzzle offered a pleasant challenge. The easy section, a 4x3 grid needing 5 dominoes, was straightforward. The medium 5x5 grid required 7 dominoes and presented a moderate step up. The hard 9x9 grid demanded 14 dominoes. The key insight across all difficulties involved recognizing how domino placement constrained adjacent cells. The sheer size of the hard grid made it difficult, with many possibilities to consider. The 7/10 difficulty rating feels accurate. The progression was smooth, but the final section required significant spatial reasoning.
How to Play NYT Pips
NYT Pips presents a grid with colored constraint regions. Your goal is to place all dominoes from the pool so every constraint is satisfied.
Each domino has two halves showing pip values (0–6 dots). Place them horizontally or vertically on the grid so adjacent cells form valid domino pairs.
Regions impose constraints: 'greater than' (>), 'less than' (<), 'equals' (=), or 'sum'. All cells in a region must satisfy its constraint using the pip values.
Three difficulty levels are available each day: Easy (small grid, few dominoes), Medium (moderate), and Hard (large grid, many dominoes). A new puzzle is available daily at midnight ET.
Play at nytimes.com/games/pips. A new puzzle is available every day.
Tips & Strategy
- Start with the Easy puzzle to learn the constraint types, then work up to Medium and Hard.
- Look for regions with 'equals' constraints first. They restrict which domino pairs can go where most tightly.
- Count how many times each pip value appears in the domino pool. Match these counts against constraint targets to find forced placements.
- On Hard mode, start from corners and edges where dominoes have fewer valid orientations.
Frequently Asked Questions
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More Special Games
Looking for more puzzles? Try Contexto answer and hints, NYT Mini Crossword help, or today's Nerdle.