NYT Sudoku Solver - Hints & Answers - June 22, 2026
Click any empty square to reveal the correct digit for that cell. Given digits are locked.
- Numbers 1–9 must appear once in each row, column, and 3×3 box.
- Use the difficulty buttons to switch between Easy / Medium / Hard.
- Use the date picker to view a past puzzle.
Daily Game Solvers, Hints and Answers
We help you solve your favourite daily game
How to use our NYT Sudoku Solver
1) Pick a difficulty
Choose Easy, Medium or Hard to load today’s puzzle for that level.
2) Click to reveal
Click any empty square to reveal the correct digit for that cell (given digits are locked).
3) Reveal or clear all
Use Reveal all to show the whole solution, or Clear reveals to reset your board.
4) Pick a date
Open the date picker to view past puzzles. We also show the earliest and latest available dates.
How to play Sudoku - A Beginner's Guide
Are you just starting out with Sudoku? Or maybe you want to refresh your skills? This guide will show you the basic techniques to get you started solving easy puzzles. We will also guide you to harder techniques when you are ready to take it to the next level.
Beginner Technique #1 — Last Free Cell
If a unit (a row, column or 3×3 box) has eight digits filled and just one empty square, that last square must be the missing digit. Below are three patterns, each shown as Before (scan) → After (place).
Example A - Box
Example B - Row
Example C - Column
That’s it—your first power move in Sudoku. Next we build on it with a slightly stronger scan: Last Remaining Cell .
Beginner Technique #2 — Last Remaining Cell
A unit can have several empty cells, but for a specific digit d only one cell can take it. Often you spot this by scanning lines that block candidates. Below, the bottom‑left box can only place a 7 in one square because a 7 in a highlighted column and another 7 in a highlighted row remove the other options.
Example D — Last Remaining Cell (Box with row/column constraints)
The blue 7 can only be placed in the orange square to satisfy the row, column and box constraints.
Beginner Technique #3 — Last Possible Number
Focus on one cell. Look at digits already present in its row, column and 3×3 box. If those three sets together cover all digits except one, the remaining digit is forced in that cell.
Example E — Only one number fits
Look at the highligted box. It includes the numbers 2, 4, 6, 3 and 7. So in the highlighted cell, the number could be 1, 5, 8 or 9. However, looking at the column, we can see that 1, 8 and 9 are already used. So the only possible number is 5.
Want to take your Sudoku solves to the next level?
Once you’re comfortable with the beginner set, try these progressive ideas. Each one trims candidates in new ways and helps on Medium → Hard puzzles.
Using Notes (Pencil Marks)
Write possible digits in each empty cell. As you eliminate options, singles pop out.
Obvious (Naked) Singles
A cell’s notes shrink to one digit → place it immediately.
Hidden Singles
Within one unit, only one cell can take a digit—even if its notes include others.
Naked Pairs/Triples
Two/three cells in a unit share the same two/three candidates → remove them elsewhere in that unit.
Hidden Pairs/Triples
Two/three digits only appear in the same two/three cells → lock those cells to those digits.
Locked Candidates (Pointing / Claiming)
Digits confined to a line within a box (or to a box within a line) eliminate candidates beyond it.
X‑Wing & Swordfish
Grid‑line patterns that cull an entire digit from columns/rows in tandem.
XY‑Wing, Coloring, and more
Chain‑based eliminations that unlock many Hard puzzles.
Want a deeper dive right now? See the primers at sudoku.com/sudoku-rules .
Frequently Asked Questions
NYT Sudoku updates according to U.S. Eastern Time. New puzzles typically appear the evening before the print date — around 10 p.m. ET on weekdays and 6 p.m. ET on weekends. Our solver checks for the latest puzzle and refreshes shortly after it goes live.
NYT Sudoku is the New York Times’ daily Sudoku puzzle. Like a standard Sudoku, you solve a 9×9 grid where digits 1–9 must appear exactly once in every row, column, and 3×3 box. The main difference is that NYT Sudoku is curated by the Times, comes in three daily difficulties (Easy, Medium, Hard), and is available on the New York Times Games website and app alongside the crossword, Connections, Wordle, and other puzzles.
Choose the date you want using the Date Picker at the top of the page, then select a difficulty (Easy / Medium / Hard). Our board mirrors the official NYT Sudoku grid for that day. Click any empty square to reveal the correct digit for that cell, or use Reveal all to show the full solution instantly. You can press Clear all to reset the board back to the original givens at any time.
Yes. Our solver includes an archive of recent NYT Sudoku puzzles. Use the Date Picker to jump back to earlier dates — the calendar only enables days where we have official data from the New York Times. When you pick a past date, the page updates to show that day’s grid, solution, and difficulty levels, so you can review or re-solve older puzzles.
Yes. The Reveal all button fills every square with the official NYT Sudoku solution for the selected difficulty. If you’d like lighter help, simply click individual cells to reveal them one by one and avoid spoiling the entire puzzle. You can always use Clear all to return to the original starting grid.
NYT Sudoku currently offers three standard levels: Easy, Medium, and Hard. Easy puzzles focus on basic singles and straightforward scanning. Medium adds pairs, triples, and more complex interactions between rows, columns, and boxes. Hard puzzles expect deeper logic (like advanced elimination patterns) and tighter constraints. Our solver provides separate boards and solutions for each difficulty when they’re available for a given date.
No. Our NYT Sudoku Solver is a standalone helper hosted on The Word Finder. We don’t log in to your New York Times account, and nothing you do on this page is sent to the NYT Games servers. You can use our hints and answers to learn strategies or check your work without affecting any official progress, streaks, or stats in the NYT app or website.
Right now, our tool focuses on click-to-reveal help: you click a cell to see the correct digit or use Reveal all / Clear all. Traditional keyboard entry and pencil-mark candidates aren’t supported yet, but they’re on our roadmap. If you’d like to see those features, feel free to send feedback through the Feedback card at the bottom of the page.