NYT Pips Hints and Answers for December 9, 2025: Step-by-Step Guide for Easy, Medium & Hard Levels
NYT Pips hints and answers for December 9, 2025, covering easy, medium, and hard levels to help players solve today’s puzzle quickly.
image for illustrative purpose
The New York Times’ newest daily puzzle, Pips, has rapidly won over the hearts of players since its introduction in August 2025. With its roots in the traditional domino game but restructured into a single-player, tactical format, Pips ups the ante as players must not only match numbers but meet intricate conditions determined by color-coding.
While the game currently allows players to reveal only the entire solution—forcing them to restart the puzzle if they need help—you don’t have to start over today. Below is a detailed, level-by-level breakdown of hints and solutions for the December 9, 2025 puzzle.
How Pips Works
Pips uses domino-style tiles placed vertically or horizontally on a board divided into colored regions. Each region requires players to meet specific conditions:
Common Tile Conditions
Number: All pips in that region must add up to the number shown.
Equal: Every half-tile in the region must show the same number.
Not Equal: Each half must display a different number.
Less Than: All halves must total less than the number shown.
Greater Than: Halves must total more than the number shown.
Tiles may partially overlap colored regions, meaning only the section inside the zone must meet its rule. Uncolored areas have no restrictions.
Pips Hints & Answers for December 9, 2025
Easy Level
Number (3)
All pips must total 3.
Answer: 2–2 (horizontal); 1–3 (horizontal)
Equal (3)
All halves must equal 3.
Answer: 1–3 (horizontal); 3–2 (vertical)
Number (2)
Total must be 2.
Answer: 3–2 (vertical); 6–0 (horizontal)
Medium Level
Number (7)
Total must be 7.
Answer: 1–1 (horizontal); 5–3 (vertical)
Number (9)
Total must be 9.
Answer: 5–1 (vertical); 4–0 (horizontal)
Number (4)
Total must be 4.
Answer: 4–0 (horizontal); 4–3 (vertical)
Number (2)
Total must be 2.
Answer: 5–1 (vertical); 1–0 (horizontal)
Number (0)
Total must be 0.
Answer: 1–0 (horizontal)
Number (5)
Total must be 5.
Answer: 1–2 (horizontal); 4–3 (vertical)
Hard Level
Number (14)
Total must be 14.
Answer: 5–5 (horizontal); 4–0 (vertical)
Less Than (3)
All halves must be < 3.
Answer: 0–2 (vertical)
Equal (0)
All halves must equal 0.
Answer: 1–0 (vertical); 0–5 (vertical); 4–0 (vertical)
Equal (2)
All halves must equal 2.
Answer: 0–2 (vertical); 3–2 (vertical); 2–2 (horizontal); 2–6 (vertical)
Number (17)
Total must be 17.
Answer: 0–5 (vertical); 6–4 (horizontal); 6–3 (vertical)
Equal (4)
All halves must equal 4.
Answer: 6–4 (horizontal); 4–5 (vertical)
Less Than (4)
All halves must be < 4.
Answer: 6–3 (vertical)
Greater Than (8)
All halves must be > 8.
Answer: 4–5 (vertical); 5–6 (horizontal)
Number (12)
Total must be 12.
Answer: 2–6 (vertical); 5–6 (horizontal)
