If you appreciate classic poetry, the today’s NYT Strands hints are clear-cut.

Strands, the New York Times‘ elegant word-search challenge, presents players with a variation on the conventional word search. Words can be created from connected letters in any orientation, including diagonals, and may alter direction, forming distinct shapes and designs. Each letter in the grid contributes to a solution. A theme consistently ties together all answers, alongside the “spangram,” a unique word or expression that embodies the day’s theme and stretches across the grid either horizontally or vertically.

By providing an unclear hint and omitting a word list, Strands constructs a demanding game that requires more time to complete than other games such as Wordle and Connections.

If you find yourself stuck or lack 10 or more minutes to tackle today’s puzzle, we offer all the NYT Strands hints necessary to help you advance at your own speed.

NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Titles of Shakespeare

The terms are tied to literature.

Explanation of today’s NYT Strands theme

These terms refer to timeless literary works.

Hint for NYT Strands spangram: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today’s NYT Strands spangram is oriented horizontally.

Today’s answer for NYT Strands spangram

The spangram for today is The Bard.

NYT Strands word list for December 12

• Midsummer

• Tempest

• Shrew