NYT Pips Hints & Answers for August 5, 2026

Aug 5, 2026

🚨 SPOILER WARNING

This page contains the final **answer** and the complete **solution** to today's NYT Pips puzzle. If you haven't attempted the puzzle yet and want to try solving it yourself first, now's your chance!

Click here to play today's official NYT Pips game first.

Want hints instead? Scroll down for progressive clues that won't spoil the fun.

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🎲 Today's Puzzle Overview

Ian Livengood's easy puzzle opens with a gentle handshake: two single-cell regions—one empty, one greater-4—hand you numbers almost immediately. From there, you'll connect a sum-8 column to a pair of restrictive less-2 cells, and the puzzle resolves in a brisk, satisfying rhythm. The equals region sits in plain sight, waiting for its obvious double. It's the perfect warm-up to get your Pips logic flowing.

Rodolfo Kurchan's medium grid greets you with a tiny sum-1 singleton that acts like a key. That lone 1 triggers a sprawling equals region that locks four cells into the same pip, and soon you're chasing a greater-4 pair across the board. Solver's joy comes from watching the constraints chain together—the less-4 pair, the greater-2 cell, and a second equals region all fall into place as you place just a few key dominoes. There's a pleasing symmetry here that rewards an orderly approach.

Kurchan's hard puzzle is where today's NYT Pips turns into a deep architectural challenge. Right away, your eye is drawn to two monumental equals strips: a quartet along the top row and another along the bottom. You'll quickly realize that the only way to satisfy them is to orchestrate multiple dominoes to deliver the same pip four times over. Anchoring that top cluster, a sum-3 singleton and a cascade of greater-than constraints force a precise sequence of placements, while a sum-12 column in the middle demands a high-value marriage. The solve feels like untangling a multicolored knot—each thread releases the next.

💡 Progressive Hints

Try these hints one at a time. Each hint becomes more specific to help you solve it yourself!

💡 Look for lone wolves
Start by scanning for single-cell regions—an empty cell and a greater-than-4 cell. They give away numbers without any cross-checking.
💡 Chain the columns
The sum-8 region in the leftmost column connects a free cell to a less-2 cell. The value placed in the empty cell constrains the whole column.
💡 Full solution walkthrough
Place domino [6,6] horizontally in the equals region [1,2]-[1,3]. The free cell [0,0] takes the 3 from [3,6], pairing its 6 with [1,0] to satisfy sum-8 — that forces [2,0] to be 2 from [2,1], whose 1 fills the less-2 at [2,1]. The greater-4 [0,5] gets the 6 from [6,5], with 5 at [1,5]; then [2,5] takes the 3 from [3,1], placing its 1 in the less-2 [2,4].
💡 Find the tiny sum
Search for a single-cell sum constraint—it demands a specific number. Also, notice a large equals region that will lock many cells to the same pip.
💡 The equals giant
The sum-1 cell at [1,2] must be 1. That value spreads into the multi-cell equals region spanning [3,1], [4,1], [3,2], [3,3]—all must be 1, so you can start by placing a double-1 domino there.
💡 Complete placement guide
Domino [1,1] goes vertical at [3,1][4,1] giving 1s. Sum-1 [1,2] gets the 1 from [5,1], placing its 5 at [1,3] for the greater-4 region with [2,3]; place [5,2] there with 5 and 2 (the 2 at [2,4] pairs with [3,4]=2 via [2,1] domino at [3,4][3,3]). Greater-2 [2,0] takes 6 from [0,6], 0 at [2,1] for less-4; [1,0] gives 0 at [2,2] and 1 at [3,2]. Equals [0,1][1,1] get [2,2].
💡 Survey the equals clusters
Today's hard puzzle features two large equals regions: a four-cell strip along the top row and another four-cell strip along the bottom. They'll severely limit which numbers can go there and force repeated values across multiple dominoes.
💡 Zero in on the top row
The top-row quartet (columns 0–3) must all share the same pip. You'll need at least three dominoes that can provide that number. Consider which pip can appear four times given your available set—1 is the only candidate that works with multiple 1-bearing dominoes.
💡 Trigger the sum-3
At [1,2] a sum-3 singleton locks in a 3. That domino also carries a 1, which will complete the top row's equals quartet. Next, the greater-3 at [1,1] forces a 4, linking to a sum-3 at [2,1] that must be 3—these two share a domino.
💡 Column 0 sum-12 and bottom equals
The sum-12 in column 0 rows 4-5 requires two 6s. The [6,0] domino places its 0 in the equals pair [2,0][3,0] and its 6 at [4,0]; then [6,4] supplies 6 at [5,0] and 4 at [6,0], seeding the bottom row's equals quartet of four 4s.
💡 Full placement details
Place [1,1] horizontally at [0,0][0,1] (two 1s). Use [3,1] at [1,2](3) and [0,2](1); then [1,5] at [0,3](1) and [0,4](5). Greater-3 [1,1] gets 4 from [3,4], with 3 at [2,1] (sum-3). [4,5] gives 4 at [1,3] and 5 at [1,4] (equals [0,4]). Sum-12 column 0: [6,0] gives 6 at [4,0], 0 at [3,0]; [0,5] puts 0 at [2,0] and 5 at [1,0]; [6,4] puts 6 at [5,0], 4 at [6,0]. Bottom equals: [4,4] at [6,1][6,2] (4s); [2,4] at [6,3](4) and [5,3](2)—the 2 joins equals-2 region alongside [2,2] at [3,3][4,3] (2s). Less-3 [4,1] gets 2 from [2,5] with 5 at [5,1]; sum-12 [4,4][5,4] uses [5,6] (6 at [5,4], 5 at [6,4]) and [1,6] (6 at [4,4], 1 at [3,4] equals with [2,4]=1 from [1,2] at [2,4][2,3]).

🎨 Pips Solver

Aug 5, 2026

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✅ Final Answer & Complete Solution For Hard Level

The key to solving today's hard puzzle was identifying the placement for the critical dominoes highlighted in the starting grid. Once those were in place, the rest of the puzzle could be solved logically. See the final grid below to compare your solution.

Starting Position & Key First Steps

Pips hint for August 5, 2026 – hard level puzzle grid with critical first placements and strategy

This image shows the initial puzzle grid for the hard level, with a few critical first placements highlighted.

Final Answer: The Solved Grid for Hard Mode

NYT Pips August 5, 2026 hard puzzle full solution grid showing final answer with hints

Compare this final grid with your own solution to see the correct placement of all dominoes.

🔧 Step-by-Step Answer Walkthrough For Easy Level

1
Step 1: Place the equals pair
The region [1,2]-[1,3] requires both cells to have the same pip. The only domino with matching pips is [6,6], so place it there horizontally.
2
Step 2: Use the empty cell
The empty cell [0,0] has no constraint, but the [3,6] domino must place its 3 somewhere. Put the 3 at [0,0] and its 6 at [1,0] — this immediately satisfies the sum-8 region in that column because 6 + 2 = 8.
3
Step 3: Lock down the less-2s
The sum-8 forces [2,0] to be 2, so the [2,1] domino places its 2 there and its 1 in the less-2 cell [2,1]. The other less-2 cell [2,4] will eventually take the 1 from the [3,1] domino.
4
Step 4: Finish with greater-4 and remaining sum-8
The greater-4 at [0,5] needs >4; place the 6 from [6,5] there and its 5 at [1,5]. Now the sum-8 at [1,5]/[2,5] requires 3 at [2,5], so place [3,1] with 3 at [2,5] and 1 at [2,4] (satisfying the last less-2).

🔧 Step-by-Step Answer Walkthrough For Medium Level

1
Step 1: Exploit the sum-1
The single-cell sum-1 region at [1,2] must be exactly 1. That tells you the [5,1] domino will place its 1 there and its 5 elsewhere — later in the greater-4 region.
2
Step 2: Fill the big equals region
The large equals region (cells [3,1], [4,1], [3,2], [3,3]) all must be the same pip, and with the sum-1 forcing a 1 nearby, it's clear that pip is 1. Place the [1,1] domino vertically at [3,1][4,1] to provide two 1s.
3
Step 3: Connect greater-4 to sum-1
The [5,1] domino's 1 goes to [1,2]; its 5 lands at [1,3] for the greater-4 region. Then [2,3] must also be >4, so place [5,2] there with 5 and the 2 at [2,4] (matching the equals region [2,4]/[3,4] which will later get a 2 from [2,1] domino).
4
Step 4: Solve the column 0-2 area
The greater-2 at [2,0] requires a 6 from [0,6], placing 0 at [2,1] (fits less-4). The [1,0] domino gives 0 at [2,2] and 1 at [3,2], completing the less-4 and the equals region.
5
Step 5: Tidy up the remaining equals
The equals pair [0,1][1,1] gets the [2,2] domino. The equals [2,4]/[3,4] gets the [2,1] domino with 2 at [3,4] and 1 at [3,3] (already 1 from equals).

🔧 Step-by-Step Answer Walkthrough For Hard Level

1
Step 1: Top row equals quartet begins
The four-cell equals region at [0,0]-[0,3] must all be the same number. The only pip that appears often enough in the domino set is 1. Place [1,1] horizontally at [0,0][0,1] to set two 1s.
2
Step 2: Sum-3 and the third 1
The sum-3 singleton at [1,2] demands a 3. The [3,1] domino gives 3 there and a 1 at [0,2], bringing the top row to three 1s.
3
Step 3: The fourth 1 and equals-5 chain
The equals region at [0,4]/[1,4] will need a 5, so use [1,5] to put 1 at [0,3] (completing the top row's four 1s) and 5 at [0,4]. Then greater-3 at [1,1] forces a 4 from [3,4] domino, with its 3 at [2,1] (sum-3 region, exactly 3). The greater-3 at [1,3] gets 4 from [4,5], its 5 at [1,4] matching [0,4].
4
Step 4: Column 0 sum-12
The sum-12 region at [4,0][5,0] needs two 6s. The [6,0] domino places 0s in the equals pair [2,0][3,0] (via 0 at [3,0] and later [2,0] from [0,5]), and 6 at [4,0]. The [6,4] domino gives 6 at [5,0] and 4 at [6,0], starting the bottom equals quartet. Also [0,5] covers [2,0]=0 and [1,0]=5 (greater-4).
5
Step 5: Bottom row equals quartet
The bottom row's four-cell equals must be all 4s because [6,0]=4. Place [4,4] at [6,1][6,2] giving two more 4s. The fourth 4 arrives from [2,4] at [6,3] (4) with its 2 at [5,3], linking to the equals-2 region [2,3][3,3][4,3][5,3] — use [2,2] at [3,3][4,3] for two 2s, and [1,2] at [2,3]=2, [2,4]=1.
6
Step 6: Final fill
The less-3 at [4,1] gets 2 from [2,5] (with 5 at [5,1], greater-3). The sum-12 at [4,4][5,4] uses [5,6] (6 at [5,4], 5 at [6,4] for greater-3) and [1,6] (6 at [4,4], 1 at [3,4] matching equals [2,4]/[3,4] already 1 from step 5). That completes the grid.

💡 Pro Tips for Similar Puzzles

Start with Constraints
Always begin with the most constrained regions - sum regions with small numbers or tight spaces.
Use Equal Regions
Use "equal" regions as anchors - they eliminate many possibilities quickly.
Work Systematically
Let the rules guide your placement rather than guessing randomly.
Double-Check
Verify each region's rules are satisfied before moving to the next.

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