Pips July 14, 2026: Hints & Answers
Recap
The easy board requires logical placement based on equals and sum constraints. The medium board involves more strategic thinking with multiple constraints. The hard board demands careful analysis of interconnected constraints.
The three boards that day
The tray and each region's rule — board data, no solutions.
Easy board · 5 dominoes · 4 regions
Dominoes: 2–20–04–02–64–4
- three cells: all matching.
- three cells: exactly 4.
- three cells: exactly 2.
- one cell: more than 4.
Small number of dominoes and regions makes this easy.
Medium board · 7 dominoes · 11 regions
Dominoes: 4–26–53–26–04–52–60–5
- one cell: left uncovered.
- 3 ×one cell: more than 4.
- two cells: exactly 10.
- one cell: more than 3.
- one cell: under 3.
- two cells: exactly 4.
- two cells: exactly 11.
- one cell: under 2.
- one cell: exactly 3.
More regions and dominoes increase complexity.
Hard board · 10 dominoes · 10 regions
Dominoes: 0–61–62–62–33–33–44–44–55–66–6
- three cells: exactly 9.
- two cells: exactly 8.
- 2 ×three cells: all matching.
- one cell: under 3.
- 2 ×one cell: more than 3.
- three cells: exactly 8.
- two cells: all matching.
- one cell: more than 2.
Many constraints and dominoes make this challenging.
Pips hints, one rung at a time
Six rungs, easy board first. The recap above already named the walkthroughs, so this ladder is here for anyone replaying the boards fresh rather than as a spoiler shield.
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Hint 1: How the three boards compared
Sizes and constraint mixes, counted off the boards.
- Easy board
- 5 dominoes, 4 regions (2 sum, 1 equals, 1 greater)
- Medium board
- 7 dominoes, 11 regions (4 greater, 4 sum, 2 less, 1 empty)
- Hard board
- 10 dominoes, 10 regions (3 equals, 3 greater, 3 sum, 1 less)
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Hint 2: Easy board: how to approach it
Method only.
Start by identifying regions with the fewest possible domino combinations.
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Hint 3: Easy board: where to start
One region named by its constraint.
Begin with the region that has an equals constraint over 3 cells.
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Hint 4: Medium board: approach and first region
The same two steps, one difficulty up.
Focus on regions with specific numerical constraints to limit domino options.
Start with a region that has a sum constraint over 2 cells.
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Hint 5: Hard board: how to approach it
Where the hard board differed in kind, not just size.
Look for regions with constraints that can only be satisfied by specific domino values.
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Hint 6: Hard board: where to start
The last rung before the full walkthroughs.
Begin with a region that has an equals constraint over 3 cells.
Every Pips walkthrough from that day
All three walkthroughs, folded: each one places every domino on its board, one after another.
Easy board · 5 dominoes
Easy board walkthrough
Place the 4/4 domino. The equals region over 3 cells must contain 4/4. Place 2/6 in the greater 4 region. Then 2/2, 0/0, and 4/0 fall into place.
Medium board · 7 dominoes
Medium board walkthrough
Begin with sum 11 over 2 cells, which must be 5/6 and 6/5 or 4/6 and 7/4, but only 5/6 and 6/5 fit. Place 5/6 and 6/5. Continue with other sums and greater/less constraints.
Hard board · 10 dominoes
Hard board walkthrough
The equals over 3 cells and sum 9 over 3 cells are key. Place 6/6, 5/6, and 4/5 to satisfy these. The sum 8 over 2 cells and equals over 2 cells help place other dominoes. Continue with greater and less constraints. The 0/6 and 1/6 dominoes have limited placement options. Each region's constraint helps place the remaining dominoes.
Those boards by the numbers
- Date
- Tuesday, July 14, 2026
- Boards
- 3 — easy, medium, hard
- Dominoes in play
- 22 across the three boards
- Easy board
- 5 dominoes · 4 regions
- Medium board
- 7 dominoes · 11 regions
- Hard board
- 10 dominoes · 10 regions
More Pips
See the live Pips hints and answers page for the current boards, or browse every archived Pips date by month.
Try the other two puzzles
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The live NYT Strands hints, spangram and answers page
Six theme words plus the spangram, with a read-only board that traces each answer.
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The live NYT Connections hints and answers page
Sixteen tiles, four groups, and a graded hint ladder from nudge to full answer.