Click HERE to download a printable PDF of this puzzle.
Puzzled? No more cross words! Read Kosman and Picciotto on “Solving The Nation’s Cryptic Puzzles.” Or watch this video.
ACROSS
1 Stand and kick habit, to begin with (5)
4 Arrow maker in Florida—one who leaves an impression? (8)
10 Famous LSD advocate embraces grand goal… (9)
11 …by swallowing stray fruit (5)
12 Like some exams after commencement, displaying a sense of right and wrong (4)
13 Send small joint (4)
14 Castro redeploying district leader to the east for agricultural area (5)
16 Lunatic did in knockout youngster (5)
17 River running west and east at location in reverse (8)
Even before February 28, the reasons for Donald Trump’s imploding approval rating were abundantly clear: untrammeled corruption and personal enrichment to the tune of billions of dollars during an affordability crisis, a foreign policy guided only by his own derelict sense of morality, and the deployment of a murderous campaign of occupation, detention, and deportation on American streets.
Now an undeclared, unauthorized, unpopular, and unconstitutional war of aggression against Iran has spread like wildfire through the region and into Europe. A new “forever war”—with an ever-increasing likelihood of American troops on the ground—may very well be upon us.
As we’ve seen over and over, this administration uses lies, misdirection, and attempts to flood the zone to justify its abuses of power at home and abroad. Just as Trump, Marco Rubio, and Pete Hegseth offer erratic and contradictory rationales for the attacks on Iran, the administration is also spreading the lie that the upcoming midterm elections are under threat from noncitizens on voter rolls. When these lies go unchecked, they become the basis for further authoritarian encroachment and war.
In these dark times, independent journalism is uniquely able to uncover the falsehoods that threaten our republic—and civilians around the world—and shine a bright light on the truth.
The Nation’s experienced team of writers, editors, and fact-checkers understands the scale of what we’re up against and the urgency with which we have to act. That’s why we’re publishing critical reporting and analysis of the war on Iran, ICE violence at home, new forms of voter suppression emerging in the courts, and much more.
But this journalism is possible only with your support.
This March, The Nation needs to raise $50,000 to ensure that we have the resources for reporting and analysis that sets the record straight and empowers people of conscience to organize. Will you donate today?
19 Second alternative to milk for a loud baby, perhaps? (8)
21 Moving front to back, drain jugs (5)
25 Moderates try to return, imbued with energy (5)
26 Looking at just the rear ends makes the Bayeux Tapestry erotic (4)
27 Pressure to get old part of a book (4)
29 Elegant bird with duck’s tail (5)
31 Painting is almost red after some alterations (3,6)
32 Changes the arrangement of vacation, for sure, to include a bit of leisure (8)
33 Ring to mark award won by 13 actresses in the completed grid (5)
Get unlimited access: $9.50 for six months.
DOWN
1 Papal decree to authorize eating head of cow or steer (7)
2 University taken over by terrible dragon is ready for anything (2,5)
3 Pursue barbarian on time (4)
5 Turn in offensive play! (5)
6 and 30 Bachelor enters appropriate place to work out—that’s one way to create space (3,3)
7 For the most part, Weinstein and a couple of stars reap what was sown (7)
8 Savage raid engulfing Yemen’s capital, starting from hostile Saudi city (6)
9 John Roberts originally upholds all but the first piece of oath during economic upswing (8)
14 Regrets offer to hold back support (6)
15 Senior, for example, or contrarian acknowledges receipt (6)
18 About 11, quietly wear away chemical compound (8)
20 Beginning to chase us around, sailor raised sword (7)
22 Flexible source of characters in Ecclesiastes (7)
23 Person tending to lamb (rare, not well-done) supervised by that woman (7)
24 One who takes too much public transportation in chaotic era (6)
26 Rock or punk notes (5)
28 Firm adopting American disguise (4)
30 See 6
SOLUTION TO PUZZLE NO. 3474
ACROSS 1 H(AS)AFIT (faith anag.) 5 U + PR + [f]IGHT 9 anag. 10 anag. 11 CAROL + E 12 EG + G + PLAN + T 14 REIN + FOR + CEMENT 18 letter bank 20 GOD (rev.) + O(F + W)AR 22 LANCE (anag.) + T 25 “no bell” 26 anag. 27 SH + EGO + AT 28 brides + O anag.
DOWN 1 HAR(DCOR)E (cord anag.) 2 SOFA + R 3 anag. 4 “tale” 5 anag. 6 [g]RI[m] + PUP 7 GUAR (anag.) + ANTE + E 8 TR(EAT)Y 13 BR(ERRAB + B)IT (B + barre rev.) 15 AUDI + BLE[ats] 16 anag. 17 anag. 19 st[r]ange anag. 21 rev. 23 CHIC + O 24 [s]QUID
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).