If competitive shows are your thing, the hints for today’s NYT Strands will come easily.

Strands, the New York Times‘ elegant word-search game, puts players to the test with a twist on the classic word search. Words can be created from adjacent letters in any direction, including diagonally, and may alter direction, resulting in distinctive shapes. Every letter within the grid contributes to a solution. There’s always a theme linking each answer, together with the “spangram,” a unique word or phrase that embodies the day’s theme and stretches across the entire grid either horizontally or vertically.

Strands presents an unclear hint and excludes the word list, creating a challenging experience that typically requires more time than other games such as Wordle and Connections.

If you find yourself stuck or pressed for time, we have all the NYT Strands hints for today’s puzzle available to assist you in advancing at your own pace.

NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: That’s simply reality (TV)

The words pertain to television.

Today’s NYT Strands theme clearly outlined

These terms refer to a well-known reality show.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it horizontal or vertical?

The spangram for today is horizontal.

NYT Strands spangram answer for today

This day’s spangram is The Traitors.

NYT Strands word list for January 8

• Shield

• Castle

• The Traitors