Lateral Thinking Puzzles

9. Connect Dots With Four Lines

There are nine dots arranged in a 3×3 grid. Connect all nine dots using exactly four straight lines without lifting your pencil.

Nine dots, four lines

Click to set your pencil down, then click again to draw each straight line. Connect all nine dots with four lines — without lifting your pencil.

Lines 1 2 3 4 Dots0 / 9

Click anywhere to drop your pencil.

Added 5 June 2008 · Updated 2 August 2026

Hint:

Think outside the box and consider extending lines beyond the dots.

Solution:

The trick is to think outside the box — literally. The four lines must extend beyond the boundary of the 3×3 grid. Starting outside the grid on one side allows each line to pass through three dots, then continue past the edge to set up the next line. Most people assume the lines must stay within the square formed by the dots, but the puzzle never says that.


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