Puzzle No. 3272

Puzzle No. 3272

And don’t miss Kosman and Picciotto’s crossword blog, Word Salad.

Copy Link
Facebook
X (Twitter)
Bluesky
Pocket
Email

Click HERE to download a printable PDF of this puzzle.
And don’t miss Kosman and Picciotto’s crossword blog, Word Salad.
ACROSS
 1 LA boys irresponsibly smuggling instrument? Yes! (10)
 6 Kind of saxophone needed to make unusual tone (4)
10 Follow mother’s doctrine (5)
11 Rewritten article is sensible (9)
12 Clarinet broken by youths, initially? Yes! (9)
13 Garment displayed by terrific hunk (5)
14 Penalty? Yes! (4)
16 Mensa ruse changed requirements for access (4,5)
19 Solo interrupting scandalous opera about grand home for children (9)
21 Returning dealer used connection? Yes! (4)
23 Imagine rapping doctor in the morning (5)
24 Love a tonality to be sufficient clue? Yes! (9)
26 Something round and bloody—it is a blemish (9)
27 A court proceeding reduced in courts (5)
28 Support a Verdi opera (4)
29 Redesign many labels? Yes! (2,3,5)
DOWN
 1 Carry away muscle tube (6)
 2 Spaghetti sauce’s turned up—that’s sweet (5)
 3 This is getting out: actress Grant conceals alternate name (Graunstein, originally) (7)
 4 Multi-legged creature amid ultra-creepy arachnids, chiefly! (9)
 5 See, the youngest March girl is dirty (5)
 7 On the way up, rock band and others surround Orange County laggard (9)
 8 At the opening, oboists refocus freely? Yes! (2,6)
 9 Leaving a lousy tip when starting late and cutting short a lunch in London (6)
15 Dazzled, like an unwilling seaman (9)
17 Primitive conversation curtailed after three consecutive letters (9)
18 Sentimentality achieved extra-superficially? Yes! (4,4)
20 Think highly of spot by a swamp (6)
21 Exploded, 23 is a weapon (7)
22 Go around near spas, running amok… (6)
24 …in a peculiar fashion—or did I lay this way? (5)
25 Railroad company in the ascendant becomes timeless moral force (5)
SOLUTION TO PUZZLE NO. 3271
ACROSS 1 letter bank 9 SI(X)TH (hits anag.) 10 AT + A + ROMAN I (rev.)  11 TROLL + OPE[n] 12 anag.  14 2 defs. 15 LO + AN[d/S] + HARK  17 MAN + IF + ESTO (toes anag.)  19 EN + TRY 20 P + AVERS 22 SUN + BURNS 25 alternate letters  26 REA(L)M 27 AMERICAN + GOT + HIC[k] (rain came anag.)
DOWN 1 V + IS IT 2 NEX(T)O (rev.) + FKIN (fink anag.) 3 S + CHOLAR (choral anag.) 4 NAIL + POLISH  5 “vile” 6 anag. 7 USA + GE  8 MAL(ARK)E + Y 13 pun  14 HO(ME)P + AGE 16 AF(TERM)ATH (Fatah anag.) 18 FOR(A)GER  19 E(MBA)RGO 21 V + ROOM  23 SUM + AC 24 ZIN + C

An urgent message from the Editors

As the editors of The Nation, it’s not usually our role to fundraise. Today, however, we’re putting out a special appeal to our readers, because there are only hours left in 2025 and we’re still $20,000 away from our goal of $75,000. We need you to help close this gap. 

Your gift to The Nation directly supports the rigorous, confrontational, and truly independent journalism that our country desperately needs in these dark times.

2025 was a terrible year for press freedom in the United States. Trump launched personal attack after personal attack against journalists, newspapers, and broadcasters across the country, including multiple billion-dollar lawsuits. The White House even created a government website to name and shame outlets that report on the administration with anti-Trump bias—an exercise in pure intimidation.

The Nation will never give in to these threats and will never be silenced. In fact, we’re ramping up for a year of even more urgent and powerful dissent. 

With the 2026 elections on the horizon, and knowing Trump’s history of false claims of fraud when he loses, we’re going to be working overtime with writers like Elie Mystal, John Nichols, Joan Walsh, Jeet Heer, Kali Holloway, Katha Pollitt, and Chris Lehmann to cut through the right’s spin, lies, and cover-ups as the year develops.

If you donate before midnight, your gift will be matched dollar for dollar by a generous donor. We hope you’ll make our work possible with a donation. Please, don’t wait any longer.

In solidarity,

The Nation Editors

Ad Policy
x