NYT Pips Hint, Answer & Solution for December 7, 2025

Dec 7, 2025

🚨 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

Sunday, December 7, 2025, arrives with that unmistakable early-December festive glow, and with it comes a warm, share-friendly trio of Pips NYT puzzles edited by Ian Livengood—perfect for solvers easing into holiday mode.

Whether you're sipping a winter latte, posting your grid online, or trading those clever Pips Hints, today’s set feels built for community spirit and collaborative thinking.

Easy #402 – A Relaxed, Conversation-Starter Puzzle

Crafted by Livengood himself, Easy #402 sets a gentle weekend rhythm.

A wide four-cell equals region provides a steady anchor, while the 9-sum duo on the right edge gives just enough structure to prompt early theorizing. Two empty anchors reshape deduction flow, and the greater-than-4 checkpoint adds a spark of challenge without breaking the mood.

It’s the kind of puzzle where solvers naturally ask each other: “Okay, did that equals block get you too?”

A perfect beginning for players who enjoy shared discovery before celebrating the full solution.

Medium #406 – A Social Puzzle Made for Strategy Swaps

Designed by Rodolfo Kurchan, Medium #406 adds depth without overpowering the communal feel.

It starts with a less-than-2 constraint, immediately narrowing pip possibilities. A long, elegant equals band runs through the center, while an unequal cluster shapes the mid-grid in ways that make people say “Hold on, try this instead.”

The finishing touch—a neat sum-1 anchor—gives the entire grid a balanced, almost musical structure.

This is a puzzle that thrives on comment-section energy, shared insights, and strategy rewrites.

Hard #408 – A Communal Logic Challenge With Real Weight

Kurchan’s second contribution of the day becomes the Sunday showpiece.

Rich layered equals regions, several empties that rearrange deduction pathways, and a commanding greater-than-15 gate immediately set the tone. Three separate sum structures—5, 4, and 5—pull solvers into a deeper rhythm where every breakthrough feels earned.

This puzzle is tailor-made for community troubleshooting threads, where someone’s triumphant “Found it!” often becomes everyone else’s turning point.

As December’s festive season unfolds, this Sunday set feels like the perfect invitation to share hints, exchange solution paths, enjoy logical craftsmanship, and celebrate every small deduction win together.

A cosy, community-powered solving day—just right for early-holiday weekends.

Written by Ander

Puzzle Analyst – Mark

💡 Progressive Hints

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

💡 Hint #1 - Observe

Dominoes Include: [6-4], [5-1], [4-4], [4-0], [3-0], [1-0]. The domino halves in Purple Equal region must be 4.

💡 Hint #1 - Observe

Dominoes Include: [6-2], [6-1], [6-0], [5-4], [3-3], [3-0], [0-0]. The domino halves in Blue Equal region must be 0. The domino halves in Red Equal region must be 3.

💡 Hint #1 - Observe

Dominoes Include: [6-3], [6-2], [6-0], [5-2], [5-1], [5-0], [4-4], [4-0], [2-2], [2-1], [2-0], [1-1]. Only 3 domino halves that contain 5 pips for Number 5 regions. Only 2 dominoes with 4 pips (4-4, 4-0) for Number 4 regions. Only 4 domino halves that contain 0 pips.

💡 Hint #2 - Blue >15

The domino halves in this region must be 6+6+6.

💡 Hint #3 - Bottom Red Equal

The domino halves in this region must be 0.

💡 Hint #4 - Light Blue Equal

The domino halves in this region must be 1.

🎨 Pips Solver

Dec 7, 2025

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 December 7, 2025 – 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 December 7, 2025 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: [6-4], [5-1], [4-4], [4-0], [3-0], [1-0].

2

Step 2: Purple Equal --(Arrows ①②③)

Confirmed by neighboring region and step 1 and relative position. The domino halves in this region must be 4. The answer is 4-4, placed vertically; 4-6 (6 into Red 9 region), placed horizontally; 4-0 (0 left into blank), placed horizontally.

3

Step 3: Red 9 + Yellow >4 --(Arrows ④⑤)

Confirmed by neighboring region and step 2 and remaining dominoes (5-1, 3-0, 1-0). The domino halves in Red 9 region must be 6+3. The domino halves in Yellow >4 region must be 0+5. The answer is 3-0 (0 into Yellow >4 region), placed horizontally; 5-1 (1 into Light Blue Equal region), placed horizontally.

4

Step 4: Light Blue Equal --(Arrows ⑥)

The domino halves in this region must be 1. The answer is 1-0 (0 left into blank), placed horizontally.

🔧 Step-by-Step Answer Walkthrough For Medium Level

1

Step 1

Dominoes Include: [6-2], [6-1], [6-0], [5-4], [3-3], [3-0], [0-0].

2

Step 2: Blue Equal + Green >3 --(Arrows ①②③)

Confirmed by neighboring region and step 1 and relative position. The domino halves in Blue Equal region must be 0. The answer is 0-0, placed vertically; 0-6 (6 into Green >3 region), placed horizontally.

3

Step 3: Red Equal + Purple <2 --(Arrows ③④)

Confirmed by neighboring region and relative position and remaining dominoes (6-2, 6-1, 5-4, 3-3, 3-0). The domino halves in Red Equal region must be 3. The answer is 3-3, placed vertically; 3-0 (0 into Purple <2 region), placed horizontally.

4

Step 4: Light Blue Not Equal + Yellow 1 + Purple <5 --(Arrows ⑤⑥⑦)

Confirmed by neighboring region and relative position and remaining dominoes (6-2, 6-1, 5-4). The domino halves in Light Blue Not Equal region must be different. The answer is 1-6 (1 into Yellow region), placed horizontally; 4-5 (4 into Purple 5 region), placed vertically; 2-6 (6 up into blank), placed vertically. The domino halves in Light Blue Not Equal region (6+5+2).

🔧 Step-by-Step Answer Walkthrough For Hard Level

1

Step 1

Dominoes Include: [6-3], [6-2], [6-0], [5-2], [5-1], [5-0], [4-4], [4-0], [2-2], [2-1], [2-0], [1-1]. Only 3 domino halves that contain 5 pips for Number 5 regions. Only 2 dominoes with 4 pips (4-4, 4-0) for Number 4 regions. Only 4 domino halves that contain 0 pips.

2

Step 2: Blue 4 --(Arrows ①)

Confirmed by neighboring region and step 1 and relative position. The answer is 4-0 (0 into Bottom Red Equal region), placed horizontally.

3

Step 3: Blue >15 + Yellow >2 --(Arrows ②③④)

Confirmed by neighboring region and step 2 and remaining dominoes with 6 pips (6-3, 6-2, 6-0). The domino halves in Blue >15 region must be 6+6+6. The answer is 6-3 (3 into Yellow >2 region), placed vertically; 6-0 (0 into Bottom Red Equal region), placed vertically; 6-2 (2 into Top Red Equal region), placed vertically.

4

Step 4: Purple 5 + Top Red Equal --(Arrows ⑤)

Confirmed by neighboring region and step 3 and remaining dominoes (5-2, 5-1, 5-0, 4-4, 2-2, 2-1, 2-0, 1-1). The domino halves in Top Red Equal region must be 2. The answer is 5-2 (5 into Purple 5 region), placed horizontally.

5

Step 5: Yellow 5 + Bottom Red Equal --(Arrows ⑥⑦)

Confirmed by neighboring region and step 3 and remaining dominoes (5-1, 5-0, 4-4, 2-2, 2-1, 2-0, 1-1). The domino halves in Bottom Red Equal region must be 0. The answer is 5-0 (5 into Yellow 5 region), placed horizontally; 0-2 (2 up into blank), placed vertically.

6

Step 6: Purple Not Equal + Light Blue 5 + Green 4 + light Blue Equal --(Arrows ⑧⑨⑩)

Confirmed by neighboring region and remaining dominoes (5-1, 4-4, 2-2, 2-1, 1-1). The domino halves in Purple Not Equal region must be 1+4+2. The answer is 4-4 (one 4s into Green 4 region), placed vertically; 5-1 (5 into Light Blue 5 region), placed horizontally; 2-2 (one 2s up into blank, confirmed by step 7), placed vertically.

7

Step 7: Light Blue Equal --(Arrows ⑪⑫)

Confirmed by neighboring region and remaining dominoes (2-1, 1-1). The domino halves in this region must be 1. The answer is 1-1, placed horizontally; 1-2 (2 right into blank), placed horizontally.

🎥 Domino Plot Twist! — Watch That One Move That Flips Everything | Pips NYT Funny Hack (Dec 7, 2025)

Hold on to your dominoes — this clip reveals the cheeky move in today’s Pips NYT that turns the whole grid on its head!

💡 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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