The hints for today’s NYT Strands are simple if you appreciate a pet moniker.

Strands, the New York Times‘ elegant word-search challenge, presents players with a variation on the classic word search. Words may be created from adjacent letters — vertically, horizontally, or diagonally, and they can pivot, forming distinct shapes and designs. Each letter in the grid contributes to an answer. A theme connects all solutions, alongside the “spangram,” a remarkable word or phrase that embodies the day’s theme and stretches across the entire grid either horizontally or vertically.

By providing a cryptic hint and not revealing the word list, Strands establishes a mind-bending game that requires a bit more time to finish compared to its other games, such as Wordle and Connections.

If you find yourself at a standstill or lack 10 or more minutes to tackle today’s puzzle, we have all the NYT Strands hints you require to advance at your leisure.

NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: ___ City

The terms are associated with urban centers.

Today’s NYT Strands theme clarified

These terms refer to alternative city titles.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it going vertical or horizontal?

The spangram for today’s NYT Strands is vertical.

NYT Strands spangram answer for today

The spangram for today is Nickname.

NYT Strands word list for November 6

• Emerald

• Motor