NYT Pips Hint, Answer & Solution for February 25, 2026

Feb 25, 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.

🎲 Today's Puzzle Overview

On Wednesday, February 25, 2026, NYT Pips delivers the kind of midweek logic session that feels both focused and social — perfect for solvers who enjoy comparing notes after work or during a lunch break.

Edited by Ian Livengood, today’s set includes:

• Easy ID 583 (constructed by Ian Livengood)

• Medium ID 610 (constructed by Rodolfo Kurchan)

• Hard ID 636 (constructed by Rodolfo Kurchan)

There’s no major U.S. holiday on February 25, which makes it an ideal “pure puzzle day” — no distractions, just clean grid logic and sharp deduction.

Easy 583 immediately revolves around its standout 30-sum region. With only five dominoes in play, every placement carries weight.

Pips Hint today: Don’t rush into filling the large sum zone. First stabilize the smaller constraints — they quietly determine how that 30 total must be built.

Medium 610 introduces two 15-sum regions and a central equals cluster. This grid rewards sequencing discipline.

Smart solving tip: Track domino balance carefully. When two medium-sized totals compete for similar values, distribution awareness becomes your biggest advantage.

Hard 636 expands into a layered network of equals regions, targeted sums (5, 2, 4), and carefully positioned greater-than and less-than clues. It’s a design that demands patience.

Advanced Pips Hint: Treat equals regions as structural anchors. Once those stabilize, the inequality clues begin to resolve naturally.

If you’re searching for the NYT Pips February 25, 2026 solution, deeper hints, or a thoughtful breakdown of solving flow, this midweek puzzle offers excellent material.

Share your approach, compare deduction paths, and see how others handled the sequencing — because even on a quiet Wednesday, great logic puzzles are better when discussed together.

Written by Joy

Puzzle Analyst – Sophia

💡 Progressive Hints

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

💡 Hint #1 - Nice and easy

Just do it.

💡 Hint #1 - Analyze 15-Region Combinations and Pip Supply

Start by evaluating how the 15-sum regions can be constructed. They must total either 5+5+5 or 6+4+5, but there are only four halves containing 5 in the entire pool. This scarcity immediately limits flexibility. At the same time, track the number of 3-pip halves available, since Yellow Equal will compete for them. Early awareness of pip distribution prevents impossible allocations later.

💡 Hint #2 - Force the First 15 Through Cross-Region Pressure

Resolve Red 15 by checking which 15-combination remains feasible after considering pip scarcity and adjacency. The structure of neighboring regions forces the 6+4+5 combination, which in turn determines the placement of the double 5 across the boundary. Simultaneously, use the inequality condition (>0) to absorb a low pip and eliminate alternatives.

💡 Hint #3 - Commit Remaining 5s to the Second 15

Once one 5 is allocated to the first 15-region, the remaining Light Blue 15 must use the 5+5+5 structure. With limited 5-containing dominoes left, their placements become forced. Check how each leftover half interacts with adjacent regions, especially feeding required 3s into Yellow Equal.

💡 Hint #4 - Resolve Equal and Inequality with Leftover 3s

In the final phase, only dominoes rich in 3s remain. Yellow Equal is therefore fixed at 3, and Blue <6 must accept the compatible lower half. With inventory reduced to a few options, equality and inequality rules combine with elimination to determine exact orientations and complete the grid.

💡 Hint #1 - Reserve Doubles for Equal Regions

Begin by identifying all double-number dominoes. Since four Equal regions must be filled and there are five doubles available, these tiles become premium resources. Plan early which Equal regions are most restrictive so you don’t accidentally consume a critical double elsewhere.

💡 Hint #2 - Lock a Simple Exact Total First

Address the Green 4 region early because it can only be satisfied cleanly by a single remaining double. Placing the 2-2 immediately removes ambiguity and reduces the pool of doubles competing for Equal regions.

💡 Hint #3 - Coordinate Multiple Regions Through Scarcity

Next, analyze all connected regions together, especially those involving 5s and Equal constraints. With only two dominoes containing 5, their placement becomes forced when cross-checked with neighboring totals. Simultaneously assign values to Equal regions (1 and 6) to prevent conflicts and keep high doubles properly distributed.

💡 Hint #4 - Use Inequality to Eliminate Alternatives

When resolving Purple <3, Red Equal, and Light Blue >3, focus on remaining low-value halves. Only one non-double half fits the <3 condition, and the Red Equal region must take matching 3s. Inequality rules combined with leftover inventory sharply restrict viable placements.

💡 Hint #5 - Finish by Exhausting Zero Options

In the final stage, remaining dominoes are zero-heavy. The Yellow Equal region must therefore be 0, consuming the 0-0 double. The last placements fall into place by checking which zero-containing halves can legally satisfy the <4 constraint and adjacent blanks. With inventory nearly empty, elimination completes the grid.

🎨 Pips Solver

Feb 25, 2026

Click a domino to place it on the board. You can also click the board, and the correct domino will appear.

✅ 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 February 25, 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 February 25, 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

Dominoes Include: [6-5], [5-5], [5-3], [5-2], [5-0].

2

Step 2: Yellow <2 + Light Blue 30 + Red 2 + Purple >3 --(Arrows ①②③④⑤)

Confirmed by neighboring region and step 1 and relative position.The domino halves in Light Blue 30 region must be 5. The answer is 0-5 (0 into Yellow <2 region), placed vertically; 5-5, placed vertically; 5-2, placed vertically; 5-6 (6 into Purple >3 region), placed vertically; 5-3 (3 into blank), placed horizontally

🔧 Step-by-Step Answer Walkthrough For Medium Level

1

Step 1

Dominoes Include: [6-3], [6-0], [5-5], [5-3], [5-1], [4-2], [3-3], [3-1]. The domino halves in Number 15 regions must be 5+5+5 or 6+4+5. Only 4 domino halves that contain 5 pips (5-5, 5-3, 5-1) for Number 15 regions. Only 5 domino halves that contain 3 pips (6-3, 5-3, 3-3, 3-1) for Yellow Equal region.

2

Step 2: Red 15 + Purple >0 --(Arrows ①②③)

Confirmed by neighboring region and step 1 and relative position. The domino halves in Red 15 region must be 5+4+6. [5-5] must placed in the boundary between Red 15 region and Light Blue 15 region. The answer is 5-5 (one 5s into Light Blue 15 region), placed horizontally; 4-2 (2 into Purple >0 region), placed horizontally; 6-0 (0 right into blank), placed horizontally.

3

Step 3: Light Blue 15 --(Arrows ④⑤)

Confirmed by neighboring region and remaining dominoes (6-3, 5-3, 5-1, 3-3, 3-1). The domino halves in Light Blue 15 region must be 5+5+5 (one 5s already come from Arrows ①). The answer is 5-3 (3 into Yellow Equal region), placed vertically; 5-1 (1 down into blank), placed vertically.

4

Step 4: Yellow Equal + Blue <6 --(Arrows ⑥⑦⑧)

Confirmed by neighboring region and remaining dominoes (6-3, 3-3, 3-1). The domino halves in Yellow Equal region must be 3 (one 3s already come from Arrows ④). The answer is 1-3 (1 into Blue <6 region), placed horizontally; 3-3, placed horizontally; 3-6 (6 right into blank), placed horizontally.

🔧 Step-by-Step Answer Walkthrough For Hard Level

1

Step 1

Dominoes Include: [6-6], [6-4], [6-3], [6-0], [5-2], [5-1], [4-0], [3-3], [3-2], [3-0], [2-2], [1-1], [0-0]. Only 5 dominoes with the same number (6-6, 3-3, 2-2, 1-1, 0-0), need four for Equal regions.

2

Step 2: Green 4 --(Arrows ①)

Confirmed by neighboring region and step 1 and relative position. Need one domino sum to be 4 placed in this region. The answer is 2-2, placed vertically.

3

Step 3: Light Blue 5 + Green 2 + Blue 5 + Purple Equal + Yellow Equal + Red >3 --(Arrows ②③④⑤⑥⑦)

Confirmed by all left regions and remaining dominoes. Only 2 dominoes with 5 pips (5-2, 5-1). The domino halves in Green 2 region must be 2+0. The domino halves in Purple Equal region must be 1. The domino halves in Yellow Equal region must be 6. The answer is 5-2, placed vertically; 0-6, placed horizontally; 5-1, placed vertically; 1-1, placed horizontally; 6-6, placed vertically; 6-4 (4 into Red >3 region), placed vertically.

4

Step 4: Purple <3 + Red Equal + Light Blue >3 --(Arrows ⑧⑨⑩)

Confirmed by neighboring region and remaining dominoes (6-3, 4-0, 3-3, 3-2, 3-0, 0-0). Only one domino half left that contain less than 3 pips (3-2), except the double number dominoes. The domino halves in Red Equal region must be 3. The answer is 2-3 (2 into Purple <3 region), placed horizontally; 3-3, placed vertically; 3-6 (6 into Light Blue >3 region), placed horizontally.

5

Step 5: Yellow Equal + Blue <4 --(Arrows ⑪⑫⑬)

Confirmed by neighboring region and remaining dominoes (4-0, 3-0, 0-0).The domino halves in Yellow Equal region must be 0. The answer is 0-0, placed vertically; 0-3 (3 into Blue <4 region), placed horizontally; 0-4 (4 left into blank), placed horizontally

🎥 NYT Pips February 25, 2026 (Wednesday) — Full Solve & Pips Hints for Easy 583, Medium 610, Hard 636

A strategy-focused explanation without guesswork

💡 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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