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ACROSS

 1 Tech-savvy folks appreciate time at halftime (8)

 5 European capital—it is hell, perhaps? (6)

10 Shrank—or grew, after replacing one variable with another (5)

11 Instructions for clothing the first murder victim behind two vehicles (4,5)

12 Cook catches monstrous ogre in illegal act (7)

13 Mocking standard of lyrical poetry (7)

14 Shake a paragon of solidity (4)

16 Torches transitional shelter for a band (9)

18 What many are looking for: acclaim that involves questionable glory (4,5)

19 Prevent a return for Palestinian, say (4)

21 Surgical instrument for a female mongrel dog? (7)

22 Curb one unruly nightclub staffer (7)

24 In French, a contrarian besmirched discount (9)

25 Airline rewriting deal about terminal’s opening (5)

26 Maryland athletes surrounding Washington’s foremost dweebs (6)

27 Toss coin after retrospective volume—that’s one way to show how you feel (8)

DOWN

 1 Flattened Dracula’s pillows? (4,3,3,5)

 2 Hopeless case in Chicago—nervous? (5)

 3 Parting scene is mysteriously erased (3,3)

 4 Primarily tasteless and conveying kitsch? Yes! (5)

 6 For some, pollen is totally and offensively green (8)

 7 Magazine employee’s beau covering crib (9)

 8 Famous sportsman in decline rested outside room (4,11)

 9 Hot car and pilot in smash-up (8)

15 Poet comes back, for example, with horrible hair for the most part (9)

16 Test for a scholar, formerly: not knowing the difference between right and wrong after exchanging words (4,4)

17 Private investment in pop art explosion yields blatant proselytizing (8)

20 Expert told a joke—heard it? (6)

22 Ray eats a bit of raw fish (5)

23 200 ÷ (0 + 51) = ? That might keep a parent awake at night (5)

SOLUTION TO PUZZLE NO. 3341  

ACROSS 1 C[r]EASE 4 anag. 9 rev. hidden 10 L(UNAT)IC[k] (aunt anag.) 11 CENT + RALLY 12 HON + D.A. 13 OK + A P.I. 14 S(NOW)BIR + D (D ribs rev.) 17 SIDE + REAL 19 init. letters 22 [l]APSES 24 letter bank 26 ESP + O + USE 27 T + REASON; senator anag. 28 pun 29 anag.; 2 defs.

DOWN 1 CHOP-s 2 ANT + ENNA (Anne rev.) 3 E(XP)ERTISE (eeriest anag.) 4 hidden 5 JELLY + ROLL 6 C-INCH 7 [s]OFTENER 8 SO(CIA)L 14 S(PEAR)HE + AD 15 B(LOO + DC)ELL 16 CON + DENSE 18 IN + SI + PID (rev.) 20 T(URNS)ON 21 CAR(E)ER 23 S + CUBA 25 O(PT)ED