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 A bit of zesty sex with, um, a deer maybe? That’s almost certain to end badly for someone (4-3,4)
7 and 29 Invert the second number and letter—that is one way to look smart (3,3)
9 High-born snob lectures participant (5)
10 Vessel protecting North Carolina, formerly, with lack of interest (9)
11 Snarled: “Another Kennedy coming after $1,000” (7)
12 Fill with happiness and marvel at exquisite cargo (5)
14 Tailor names one measurement (6)
15 Tense about pros messing up travel document (8)
18 Satellite conveying a coach’s cookie (8)
I know that many important organizations are asking you to donate today, but this year especially, The Nation needs your support.
Over the course of 2025, the Trump administration has presided over a government designed to chill activism and dissent.
The Nation experienced its efforts to destroy press freedom firsthand in September, when Vice President JD Vance attacked our magazine. Vance was following Donald Trump’s lead—waging war on the media through a series of lawsuits against publications and broadcasters, all intended to intimidate those speaking truth to power.
The Nation will never yield to these menacing currents. We have survived for 160 years and we will continue challenging new forms of intimidation, just as we refused to bow to McCarthyism seven decades ago. But in this frightening media environment, we’re relying on you to help us fund journalism that effectively challenges Trump’s crude authoritarianism.
For today only, a generous donor is matching all gifts to The Nation up to $25,000. If we hit our goal this Giving Tuesday, that’s $50,000 for journalism with a sense of urgency.
With your support, we’ll continue to publish investigations that expose the administration’s corruption, analysis that sounds the alarm on AI’s unregulated capture of the military, and profiles of the inspiring stories of people who successfully take on the ICE terror machine.
We’ll also introduce you to the new faces and ideas in this progressive moment, just like we did with New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani. We will always believe that a more just tomorrow is in our power today.
Please, don’t miss this chance to double your impact. Donate to The Nation today.
Katrina vanden Heuvel
Editor and publisher, The Nation
20 Someone harmed Victor and Timothy (6)
23 Excellent purse is ruined (5)
25 Small cut of meat infused with, for instance, liqueur (4,3)
27 Julia, a gangster in the early days (9)
28 Decapitate Venetian villain, leading to New York’s suffering (5)
29 See 7
30 Entire chain is broken? That’s what you get (11)
DOWN
1 “Heavy Metal”: possible name for Zorro’s company? (4)
Get unlimited access: $9.50 for six months.
2 Criticizes Confederate instruments (7)
3 Large reptile, turning up like this, becomes gold and red (9)
4 In France, one breaks most wild horses (6)
5 Pastoral rainbow over a goddess, for the most part (8)
6 Pennsylvania city is home to no puppet (5)
7 Social gathering to raise Norwegian male cattle (7)
8 Triumph over exotic termite when it is cold (10)
13 Get lost, assuming I am heading from Toronto to Rochester with a pet (7,3)
16 Don’t start requesting something to keep you afloat for a surgical procedure (4,5)
17 Liquid sort of contains oxygen and hydrogen? Indeed (8)
19 Whim: Practice recklessly after time runs out (7)
21 Barb, claiming connection, is a second-rater (7)
22 Hits comparatively ancient receptacle (6)
24 Awesome sequel for Bones? (5)
26 Wealthy people embracing publicity (4)
SOLUTION TO PUZZLE NO. 3486
ACROSS 1 C + HANGED 5 E.G. + GNOG (rev.) 8 N(ARC)O (car anag.) 9 anag. 11 letter bank 12 LEN(T)O 13 INTERS + TATE 16 alternate letters 18 hidden (&lit.) 19 G(LITTER)AT + I (I + tag rev.) 23 EX + POS[t] 24 S(PUN)KIES + T 26 FLOUR-ISH 27 BI[ll] + SON 28 S(TR)ONG 29 P(ROB)ATE
DOWN 1 anag. 2 [p]AIRED 3 GE[n]OME + TRY 4 DA + TASE + T 5 EMINE[m] + NT 6 GANG + L + Y 7 O + O + LONG + TEA (anag.) 10 anag. 14 TES(TP)ILOT (toilets anag.) 15 hidden 17 PEEK (rev.) + A BOO[k] 20 2 defs. 21 T(OUCH)UP (put rev.) 22 P(SEUD)O (dues rev.) 25 hidden
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.