If you’re perusing this, you’re in search of some help with Strands, the New York Times‘ sophisticated word-search game.

Strands invites players to add a twist to the conventional word search. Words can be constructed from connected letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonally, and they may also shift direction, resulting in distinctive shapes and patterns. Each letter in the grid is integral to an answer. There’s always a theme linking each solution, along with the “spangram,” a particular 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 the word list, Strands crafts a challenging game that generally requires more time to complete than others like Wordle and Connections.

If you find yourself stuck or don’t have 10 minutes or more to tackle today’s challenge, we’ve compiled all the NYT Strands hints for today’s puzzle to assist you in progressing at your own pace.

NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Slithering away

The words pertain to animals.

Today’s NYT Strands theme clearly described

These terms are classifications of reptiles.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today’s NYT Strands spangram is laid out horizontally.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today’s spangram is Serpent.