If you’ve landed here, it’s likely you’re in need of some help with Strands — the New York Times’ ingenious variation on the traditional word search.

Strands invites players to uncover words concealed within a grid of letters. In contrast to conventional word searches, the words in Strands can curve and twist in every possible direction — upward, downward, diagonally, and even altering direction mid-word. Each letter in the grid contributes to a solution. Every puzzle revolves around a particular theme, and there’s always a unique word or phrase known as the “spangram” that embodies the theme and stretches across the grid either horizontally or vertically.

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What sets Strands apart in terms of difficulty is that it doesn’t offer a word list. Rather, you receive an ambiguous clue regarding the theme, and it’s your task to deduce the rest. This challenge takes more time compared to other NYT games like Wordle or Connections — but that enhances the experience.

If you’re pressed for time or simply require a little push in the right direction, we have all the clues and solutions you need for today’s Strands puzzle.

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Today’s NYT Strands Theme Hint: Get your thoughts out of the gutter
Clue: The words are “dirty.”

Theme Explained:
All the words in today’s puzzle pertain to things that are soiled or disheveled.

Spangram Direction:
Today’s spangram extends horizontally across the grid.

Spangram Answer:
DirtyWords

Strands Word List for April 12:

– Filthy
– Grimy
– Unkempt
– Muddy
– Stained
– Polluted
– DirtyWords (spangram)

Eager for more daily puzzles and games? Head over to Mashable’s Games Hub for everything from Mahjong and Sudoku to crosswords and beyond.

Missed out on yesterday’s puzzle? You can locate the April 11 Strands answers here.