NYT Pips Hints & Answers for September 10, 2026

Sep 10, 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!

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

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🎲 Today's Puzzle Overview

Ian Livengood designs today's easy around a rare lower-right anchor: a one-cell sum that dictates its partner through an adjacent equals region. The top half uses a high-bar greater region to force a stack of maximum pips, then the surrounding greater-4 singleton and equals pair cinch the remaining dominos. It is a compact masterclass in making five pieces ripple through the whole grid.

Rodolfo Kurchan's medium turns small arithmetic targets into an elegant domino-pairing lattice. The grid opens with two neat lock regions—a two-cell sum and a vertical equals—that immediately name their dominos, then the middle row is resolved through a single-cell sum and an equals column. The result feels more like fitting labeled tabs into pre-cut slots than guessing.

In today's NYT Pips hard, Kurchan goes architectural: a series of zero-forced single-cell regions pair off with adjacent greater and sum cells, creating a chain of small catches across the middle and lower rows. Two large bottom equals blocks then interlock with a low-sum cluster and a right-side triple equals, a distinctive signature of his harder grids.

💡 Progressive Hints

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

💡 Catch the no-slack cell
Start with the most restrictive type in the grid: a one-cell sum region. It has no neighbors to share the burden, so its value is instantly decided and it drags an adjacent equals region into play.
💡 Zero in on the lower-right
The single-cell sum at [2,2] is the trigger. Its other domino half must sit at [2,3], which is also locked to [1,3] by an equals region. That quickly determines the whole right edge.
💡 Easy full answer
Place [0,3] horizontally at [2,2]-[2,3] (3 in [2,2], 0 in [2,3]); this forces [1,3]=0. Place [0,4] vertically at [0,3]-[1,3] (4 in [0,3], 0 in [1,3]), and the equals pair makes [0,2]=4. The top greater region takes three 6s: [6,5] covers [1,0]-[1,1] (5 at [1,0], 6 at [1,1]); [1,6] covers [0,0]-[0,1] (1 at [0,0], 6 at [0,1]); [4,6] covers [0,2]-[1,2] (4 at [0,2], 6 at [1,2]).
💡 Spot the twin lock regions
Look first for the two-cell regions that are self-locking: a sum region that demands a perfectly matching domino, and an equals region that forces identical halves. They each remove a major domino in one move.
💡 Work the upper-left grid
The sum pair at [0,2]-[0,3] and the vertical equals pair at [2,3]-[3,3] are the early anchors. After those, the single-cell sum at [2,1] and the equals column [1,0]/[2,0] point to the next high-low domino.
💡 Medium full answer
Place [2,2] horizontally at [0,2]-[0,3]. Place [0,0] vertically at [2,3]-[3,3]. Place [4,6] horizontally at [2,0]-[2,1] (6 at [2,0], 4 at [2,1]), which sets [1,0]=6; then [6,0] covers [1,0]-[1,1] horizontally (6 at [1,0], 0 at [1,1]). Put [0,5] horizontally at [1,2]-[1,3] (0 at [1,2], 5 at [1,3]). Finish with [3,3] horizontally at [3,1]-[3,2] and [0,1] vertically at [0,4]-[1,4] (0 at [0,4], 1 at [1,4]).
💡 Search for the zero-sum singles
This hard is built around single-cell sum-0 regions. They act like fixed pins; once you locate all of them, the adjacent greater and sum cells become domino-matching problems rather than open choices.
💡 Pair the mid-row catches
At row 2, the cells [2,4]/[2,5] and [2,7]/[2,8] each pair a zero-sum cell with a greater cell. The two available zero-plus-high dominos are anchored there, with the higher one needed on the right where the greater threshold is steeper.
💡 Settle the bottom-right tight spot
Check the adjacent less-than and one-cell sum at [6,4] and [6,5]. The sum cell has only one possible value, and the less-than cell must be lower, so the [1,3] domino locks that pair and opens the lower-right cluster.
💡 Follow the bottom equals blocks
With the bottom-left low-sum and zero-sum regions at [6,0]-[6,2] resolved, the four-cell equals block at [7,0],[8,0],[8,1],[8,2] settles to a single shared value. The three-cell equals on the right [6,7],[6,8],[7,8] then pairs with the sum-1 corner at [8,8].
💡 Hard full answer
Place [1,3] horizontally at [6,4]-[6,5] (1 at [6,4], 3 at [6,5]). In row 2, place [3,0] horizontally at [2,4]-[2,5] (0 at [2,4], 3 at [2,5]) and [5,0] horizontally at [2,7]-[2,8] (0 at [2,7], 5 at [2,8]). Top: [0,6] covers [0,1]-[0,2] (0 at [0,1], 6 at [0,2]); [5,4] covers [1,2]-[2,2] vertically (5 at [1,2], 4 at [2,2]). Right top: [6,2] covers [0,6]-[1,6] vertically (2 at [0,6], 6 at [1,6]); [0,0] covers [3,6]-[4,6] vertically. Bottom left: [0,1] covers [6,1]-[6,2] horizontally (1 at [6,1], 0 at [6,2]); [1,2] covers [6,0]-[7,0] vertically (1 at [6,0], 2 at [7,0]); [2,2] covers [8,0]-[8,1] horizontally; [2,0] covers [8,2]-[7,2] vertically (2 at [8,2], 0 at [7,2]). Right/bottom: [5,5] covers [6,7]-[6,8] horizontally; [1,5] covers [7,8]-[8,8] vertically (5 at [7,8], 1 at [8,8]); [4,4] covers [8,4]-[8,5] horizontally.

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Sep 10, 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 Sept 10, 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 Sept 10, 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: Lower-right sum cell
The single-cell sum at [2,2] has no slack: it must be 3. The only way to cover it while satisfying the adjacent equals region at [1,3]/[2,3] is to place domino [0,3] horizontally across [2,2]-[2,3], giving 3 at [2,2] and 0 at [2,3]. That immediately sets [1,3]=0.
2
Step 2: Right-edge equals column
With [1,3]=0, the cell above it, [0,3], cannot be paired with anything except [0,4] vertically, placing 4 at [0,3] and confirming 0 at [1,3]. The equals pair [0,2]/[0,3] then forces [0,2]=4.
3
Step 3: High-bar top region
The top greater region [0,1],[1,1],[1,2] requires the three cells to hit the maximum, so each becomes 6. Domino [4,6] covers [0,2]-[1,2] with 4 at [0,2] and 6 at [1,2]; domino [6,5] covers [1,0]-[1,1] with 5 at [1,0] and 6 at [1,1]; domino [1,6] covers [0,0]-[0,1] with 1 at [0,0] and 6 at [0,1].
4
Step 4: Cleanup and the empty corner
The greater-4 singleton at [1,0] is satisfied by the 5 already placed, while the empty cell at [0,0] takes the 1. No other loose ends remain: every domino is accounted for by the constraint chain.

🔧 Step-by-Step Answer Walkthrough For Medium Level

1
Step 1: Top sum pair
The two-cell sum region at [0,2]/[0,3] must add to 4. The only available domino that fits the sum and adjacent placement is [2,2], so place it horizontally across [0,2]-[0,3].
2
Step 2: Vertical equals pair
The equals pair at [2,3]/[3,3] requires identical halves. The double-zero domino [0,0] goes vertically there, giving both cells 0.
3
Step 3: Mid-left sum and equals column
The single-cell sum at [2,1] needs a 4, and the equals column [1,0]/[2,0] needs matching high values. Domino [4,6] covers [2,0]-[2,1] horizontally (6 at [2,0], 4 at [2,1]). Then [6,0] covers [1,0]-[1,1] horizontally, placing 6 at [1,0] to match [2,0] and 0 at [1,1].
4
Step 4: Middle zero equals and sum-5 singleton
Since [1,1] is 0, the equals pair [1,1]/[1,2] forces [1,2]=0. Domino [0,5] covers [1,2]-[1,3] horizontally, putting 0 at [1,2] and 5 at [1,3] to satisfy the single-cell sum.
5
Step 5: Bottom row and right side
The sum-6 pair [3,1]/[3,2] is completed by [3,3] horizontally. Finally, [0,1] covers [0,4]-[1,4] vertically, giving 0 at the empty cell [0,4] and 1 at [1,4] for the greater-0 region.

🔧 Step-by-Step Answer Walkthrough For Hard Level

1
Step 1: Bottom-right less/sum catch
The adjacent cells [6,4] and [6,5] form a tight pair: [6,5] is a single-cell sum that must be 3, and [6,4] is a less-than region that must be lower. Domino [1,3] covers them horizontally, with 1 at [6,4] and 3 at [6,5].
2
Step 2: Row 2 zero/greater sandwiches
Two horizontal pairs in row 2 are forced by zero-sum singles next to greater cells. [2,4] is sum 0, so its partner [2,5] must come from [3,0], placing 0 and 3. Meanwhile [2,7] is sum 0 and [2,8] must be greater than 4, so [5,0] goes there with 0 and 5.
3
Step 3: Top central sum and zero corner
At the top, [0,1] is sum 0, so [0,6] covers [0,1]-[0,2] horizontally, putting 0 at [0,1] and 6 at [0,2]. The vertical sum-15 column [0,2]/[1,2]/[2,2] then forces [5,4] to cover [1,2]-[2,2], placing 5 and 4 for the required total.
4
Step 4: Top right and less-4 pair
The vertical pair [0,6]/[1,6] combines a less-than and a greater-than constraint, so [6,2] fits with 2 at [0,6] and 6 at [1,6]. The adjacent less-4 pair [3,6]/[4,6] is then the natural home for [0,0], placing 0 in both cells.
5
Step 5: Bottom-left cluster and four-cell equals
In the bottom-left, the sum-2 pair [6,0]/[6,1] interlocks with the sum-0 pair [6,2]/[7,2]. Domino [0,1] covers [6,1]-[6,2] with 1 and 0, forcing [6,0]=1. Domino [1,2] covers [6,0]-[7,0] with 1 and 2, which sets the big four-cell equals block [7,0],[8,0],[8,1],[8,2] to 2. Finish it with [2,2] horizontally on [8,0]-[8,1] and [2,0] vertically on [8,2]-[7,2] (2 and 0).
6
Step 6: Right-side equals and final dominoes
The triple equals [6,7]/[6,8]/[7,8] pairs with the sum-1 corner at [8,8]. Domino [5,5] covers [6,7]-[6,8] horizontally with 5s, and [1,5] covers [7,8]-[8,8] vertically with 5 at [7,8] and 1 at [8,8]. Finally, [4,4] fills the sum-8 pair [8,4]/[8,5] horizontally with 4s.

💡 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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