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ACROSS
1 Gets angry when Oakland team is taken in by dubious faith (3,1,3)
5 Honest union leader encounters PR battle, avoiding false start (7)
9 Renovate unsightly 26 (9)
10 The moon’s changing shape! (5)
11 King’s song, ever at #1 (6)
12 Vegetable, for example, with green design at end of root (8)
14 Check for concrete strengthening (13)
18 Reusing parts of air vents with self-confidence (13)
20 Mars Rover overturned, with blade pierced by failing water source (3,2,3)
22 Surgical instrument is extraordinarily clean ahead of time (6)
25 Prize Sounds of Silence at the front door? (5)
26 Small conflict disrupting 9 (5,4)
27 Nanny’s quiet self-esteem at last (3-4)
28 Runaway brides love to get naked (7)
DOWN
1 Race participant, having swallowed twisted cord, is deep into it (4-4)
2 Until now, couch is on top of rug (2,3)
3 First, folk get upset as they’re encountered in warehouses (9)
4 Recited story’s end (4)
5 Hug nine icy bats? That’s filthy (10)
6 Tear from grim, unprotected pet (3,2)
7 Promise to cook ragù—something you put in a pot with a bit of escarole (9)
8 Attempt to encompass (take in) an agreement (6)
13 Front of ballet dancer’s equipment held up by UK native, a legendary trickster (4,6)
15 In German car, half of bleats are completely drowned out, perhaps (9)
16 Sketchy leases? Hey, they’re in your face (9)
17 Weariest screwball, so to speak (2,2,4)
19 After Republican defection, strange realignment of representatives (6)
21 From the South: “Oil of Leaf” (5)
23 Marx’s elegant ring (5)
24 Pound calamari, except for the head (4)
SOLUTION TO PUZZLE NO. 3473
ACROSS 1 UPB (anag.) + EAT 5 RELI(GI)O (rev.) + N 9 IN DELI + CAT + E 10 rev. 11 S + T + ITCH 12 EM + AILING 13 MAN A FORT 17 S + EXACT 19 THE(O-LOG-[o])Y 21 hidden 23 P + AREN’T 24 BI(R)D 25 PIE(DATE)RRE 26 KE(EPAT)IT (kite anag., tape rev.) 27 DA(YOL[k])D
DOWN 2 PEN(ET)RATE 3 ELECT RA 4 T + HIGH 5 letter bank 6 L(I.E. + SAW)AKE 7 [k/G]-REMLIN 8 rev. hidden 14 [m]ONTH + [d]ESPOT 16 anag. 18 A C(TED)UP 20 LARCE (anag.) + NY 22 NO I + S + E 23 P + LAID
Joshua Kosman and Henri PicciottoJoshua Kosman and Henri Picciotto are The Nation’s puzzlers. To read more about Kosman, click here. To read more about Picciotto, click here. Kosman and Picciotto explain what they’re up to in “Solving The Nation’s Cryptic Crosswords” (also available as a PDF). Check out The Nation’s Current Issue page each week for the latest puzzle.