May 25, 2025
Willow
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There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's puzzle before reading further! Final Round

Constructors: Beth Rubin & Amanda Rafkin

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Random Thoughts & Interesting Things

  • LET FREEDOM RING (15A: Repeated phrase in Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech) Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech was delivered at a civil rights rally in Washington D.C. on August 28th, 1963. In the speech, Dr. King quoted part of the song "My Country 'Tis of Thee," saying "From every mountainside, LET FREEDOM RING!" Dr. King went on to list specific places to LET FREEDOM RING, including "from the mighty mountains of New York" and "from every hill and molehill of Mississippi."
  • LOBOS (20A: University of New Mexico team) The University of New Mexico is located in Albuquerque. The nickname for their sports teams is the LOBOS, which is the Spanish word for wolf.
  • CAT (26A: Pet that benefits from vertical space) This made me smile. CATs definitely like to climb and jump up on things. Here's a photo of my CAT, Willow, on a bookcase shelf trying to blend in with the books.

  • OREO (27A: Black-and-white cookie) A straightforward clue today for our crossword friend OREO.
  • CHE (44A: "Weekend Update" co-anchor Michael) and SNL (53D: Sketch show celebrating its 50th season) Weekend Update is a satirical news sketch on Saturday Night Live (SNL). It is the longest-running recurring sketch on SNL. Chevy Chase was the first Weekend Update anchor, in 1975. The current Weekend Update anchors are Michael CHE and Colin Jost.
  • REVIEWS (47A: Yelp postings) Yelp is a website and mobile app where users post REVIEWS about businesses.
  • IT'S (52A: part of TGIF) and FRI (16D: Part of TGIF) It's too bad today isn't Friday, because we have half of TGIF represented in the puzzle.
  • LIONS (57A: Pride members) Willow takes pride in this puzzle shout-out to her big cat cousins, the LIONS.
  • ALTERNATIVE POP (3D: Lana Del Rey or Weezer genre) ALTERNATIVE POP is generally described as being more original, challenging, or eclectic than traditional POP music. It sometimes features a dark or downbeat emotional tone. Lana Del Rey's tenth studio album, Classic, is expected to be released sometime this year. Weezer's fifteenth studio album, Van Weezer, was released in 2021.
  • CAR (24D: Piece in the board game Heat: Pedal to the Metal) Heat: Pedal to the Metal is a board game by Days of Wonder (the company that makes the Ticket to Ride series of board games). Players manage the cards in their hands to be the first to get their race CAR around the track.
  • TLDR (25D: "here's a shorter version of that saga") TL;DR = too long; didn't read
  • OPAL (27D: "Steven Universe" character named after a gem) Steven Universe is an animated TV show that tells of the adventures of magical alien warriors known as the Crystal Gems. The title character, Steven Universe, is a hybrid between a "Gem" and a human. The Crystal Gems are working to protect the Earth and the fictional town of Beach City. At times, two or more Gems may combine to create a larger, more powerful Gem, as is the case when Pearl and Amethyst fuse to create OPAL. The character of OPAL is voiced by Aimee Mann.
  • TWEETY BIRD (32D: Cartoon character who says "I tawt I taw a puddy tat!") TWEETY BIRD is a Warner Bros. cartoon character who made his first appearance in 1944. TWEETY BIRD's signature line, "I tawt I taw a puddy tat!" is most often said about Sylvester the Cat. It's often followed by, "I did! I did taw a puddy tat!"
  • THAIS (34D: Some actors in season 3 of "The White Lotus") The White Lotus is a TV series about a fictional resort chain called the White Lotus. The show, which premiered in 2021, is an anthology series, one that presents a different story or may have a different cast or be set in a different location each season. The show's third season is set in Thailand.
  • BRAT (34D: That's the wurst!) The exclamation point in this clue alerts solvers to interpret it literally. A BRAT is literally "the wurst" (sausage).
  • RELIC (42D: Tomb Raider collectible) This clue is a reference to the Tomb Raider franchise of video games and movies. Lara Croft is the protagonist of the franchise. She finds and collects RELICs to study them.
  • WII FIT (48D: Nintendo game that comes with a balance board) WII FIT is an exercise video game. It comes with a balance board that can be used for a variety of yoga, strength training, aerobics, and balance games.
  • LENA (57D: "Game of Thrones" actress Headey) LENA Headey portrays Cersei Lannister on the TV series Game of Thrones (2011-2019). She received five Primetime Emmy Award nominations and a Golden Globe Award nomination for this role.

Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis

  • LET FREEDOM RING (15A: Repeated phrase in Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech)
  • THIRD WHEEL (38A: Person hanging out with a couple)
  • COME FULL CIRCLE (60A: Return to the starting point)

FINAL ROUND: The FINAL word of each theme answer is something that is ROUND: RING, WHEEL, and CIRCLE.

The title for today's puzzle let me know exactly what to expect theme-wise. LET FREEDOM RING confirmed my guess, and then I looked forward to discovering the remaining ROUND things. Thank you, Beth and Amanda, for this enjoyable puzzle.

For more on USA TODAY’s Crossword Puzzles

  • USA TODAY’s Daily Crossword Puzzles
  • Sudoku & Crossword Puzzle Answers

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Final Round

Reporting by Sally Hoelscher, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect