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NYT Pips answers — Tuesday, October 7, 2025

Pips #51 · Edited by Ian Livengood · Easy by Rodolfo Kurchan · Medium by Rodolfo Kurchan · Hard by Heidi Erwin

Stuck on today's New York Times Pips? Below are three progressive hints for each difficulty, then the full solution as a tap-to-reveal board. Hints first — the answer only when you want it.

Jump to: Easy · Medium · Hard

Easy Pips answer — October 7, 2025

5×3 board · 6 dominoes · 4 regions · by Rodolfo Kurchan

6 dominoes, 4 regions, a 5×3 grid — that's the easy puzzle for October 7, 2025. You're working with 3 sum regions, 1 free region. Rack check: 3 doubles, 1 blank half.

Hints

Hint 1 — where to start

Start with the smallest regions — they have the fewest ways to be filled.

Hint 2 — first domino

Place the 3–3 domino with its 3 at row 2, column 1 and its 3 at row 3, column 1.

Hint 3 — second domino

Next, the 0–4 goes at row 1, column 3 → row 2, column 3. From there the rest should fall into place.

Solution

Tap any cell to reveal its pips, or reveal the whole board. Region rules: 9 must add up to 9; 16 must add up to 16; 15 must add up to 15.

9
16
15
Solution as text
  1. 3–3 — 3 at row 2, column 1, 3 at row 3, column 1
  2. 0–4 — 0 at row 1, column 3, 4 at row 2, column 3
  3. 5–5 — 5 at row 5, column 1, 5 at row 5, column 2
  4. 4–4 — 4 at row 3, column 2, 4 at row 3, column 3
  5. 2–3 — 2 at row 1, column 2, 3 at row 1, column 1
  6. 5–4 — 5 at row 5, column 3, 4 at row 4, column 3

Medium Pips answer — October 7, 2025

5×4 board · 9 dominoes · 8 regions · by Rodolfo Kurchan

The medium board runs 5 rows by 4 columns: 9 dominoes to place across 8 regions. The mix is 1 sum region, 3 "all equal", 1 "less than", 3 free regions. The "=" region starting at row 1, column 3 has 3 cells that must all match — every 6 in the puzzle should come here.. After that, the "=" region starting at row 2, column 1 has 4 cells that must all match — every 2 in the puzzle should come here.. Rack check: 1 double, 2 blank halves, 3 sixes.

Hints

Hint 1 — where to start

The "=" region starting at row 1, column 3 has 3 cells that must all match — every 6 in the puzzle should come here.

Hint 2 — first domino

Place the 0–6 domino with its 0 at row 1, column 2 and its 6 at row 1, column 3.

Hint 3 — second domino

Next, the 1–2 goes at row 1, column 1 → row 2, column 1. From there the rest should fall into place.

Solution

Tap any cell to reveal its pips, or reveal the whole board. Region rules: <4 must add up to less than 4; = must all be the same number; 11 must add up to 11.

<4
=
=
=
11
Solution as text
  1. 1–0 — 1 at row 4, column 4, 0 at row 5, column 4
  2. 0–6 — 0 at row 1, column 2, 6 at row 1, column 3
  3. 1–2 — 1 at row 1, column 1, 2 at row 2, column 1
  4. 4–2 — 4 at row 3, column 1, 2 at row 3, column 2
  5. 3–6 — 3 at row 1, column 4, 6 at row 2, column 4
  6. 3–3 — 3 at row 4, column 1, 3 at row 5, column 1
  7. 2–6 — 2 at row 2, column 2, 6 at row 2, column 3
  8. 5–2 — 5 at row 4, column 3, 2 at row 4, column 2
  9. 3–5 — 3 at row 5, column 2, 5 at row 5, column 3

Hard Pips answer — October 7, 2025

5×8 board · 10 dominoes · 9 regions · by Heidi Erwin

The hard board runs 5 rows by 8 columns: 10 dominoes to place across 9 regions. The mix is 5 sum regions, 3 "all equal", 1 "less than". Best foothold — the two-cell region at row 1, column 1 adds to 0: both cells must be 0. After that, the "=" region starting at row 2, column 8 has 3 cells that must all match — every 6 in the puzzle should come here.. Rack check: 3 doubles, 4 blank halves, 4 sixes.

Hints

Hint 1 — where to start

The two-cell region at row 1, column 1 adds to 0: both cells must be 0. That's the 0–0 domino, or two 0s from different dominoes.

Hint 2 — first domino

Place the 0–0 domino with its 0 at row 1, column 1 and its 0 at row 1, column 2.

Hint 3 — second domino

Next, the 6–1 goes at row 2, column 8 → row 2, column 7. From there the rest should fall into place.

Solution

Tap any cell to reveal its pips, or reveal the whole board. Region rules: 0 must add up to 0; 11 must add up to 11; <2 must add up to less than 2; = must all be the same number; 7 must add up to 7.

0
11
<2
=
=
7
=
5
11
Solution as text
  1. 6–1 — 6 at row 2, column 8, 1 at row 2, column 7
  2. 3–0 — 3 at row 5, column 4, 0 at row 5, column 3
  3. 2–4 — 2 at row 4, column 5, 4 at row 4, column 4
  4. 0–2 — 0 at row 5, column 6, 2 at row 4, column 6
  5. 6–6 — 6 at row 3, column 8, 6 at row 4, column 8
  6. 4–4 — 4 at row 2, column 1, 4 at row 2, column 2
  7. 2–5 — 2 at row 4, column 2, 5 at row 5, column 2
  8. 0–0 — 0 at row 1, column 1, 0 at row 1, column 2
  9. 3–2 — 3 at row 3, column 1, 2 at row 4, column 1
  10. 5–6 — 5 at row 5, column 7, 6 at row 5, column 8

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