Should you be perusing this, you are looking for help with Strands, the New York Times‘ elegant word-search challenge.

Strands presents a fresh take on the classic word search by allowing players to form words from adjacent letters in every direction, including diagonally, with the possibility of changing directions, thus creating distinctive shapes and designs. Each letter within the grid contributes to a solution. Every puzzle revolves around a theme that ties all answers together, accompanied by the “spangram,” a unique word or phrase that summarizes the day’s theme and extends across the entire grid either horizontally or vertically.

By providing an ambiguous hint and omitting a word list, Strands creates a challenging experience that often requires more time to complete compared to other games like Wordle and Connections.

If you find yourself at an impasse or lack the 10 or more minutes needed to tackle today’s puzzle, we have all the NYT Strands hints necessary for you to continue at your own speed.

NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Beyond vanilla

The words pertain to desserts.

Today’s NYT Strands theme succinctly defined

These terms relate to flavors for a well-liked sweet delicacy.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it oriented vertically or horizontally?

Today’s NYT Strands spangram runs vertically.

NYT Strands spangram answer for today

Today’s spangram is Ice Cream.