| RAINIER | This U.S. peak holds the record for most snowfall in a year (102 feet); from its name you'd guess different precipitation |
| DENALI | U.S. peak officially renamed in 2015 |
| NEVADA | It means "snowfall" in Spanish |
| SSS | 'S'limy 's'erpent 's'peak? |
| YODELLED | Performed at one's peak? |
| PORTLANDOREGON | In 1981, U2's Bono had a briefcase with handwritten lyrics stolen in this U.S. city; in 2003, the briefcase was returned after he had mentioned it during a 2001 concert there |
| FERMOR | Last name of the travel writer who recounted his journey by foot from the Hook of Holland to Istanbul aged 18 in the books A Time of Gifts and Between the Woods and the Water (6) |
| JACK | Figure of a man striking a bell on a clock; device for releasing one's foot from a boot; or, a leather pitcher (4) |
| COLA | As you might guess from its name, this fizzy brown soft drink was originally made from Africa's kola nut |
| CHIPS | This U.S. Army-trained sentry dog served in the 3rd Infantry Division and was the most decorated dog in World War II. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, and Purple Heart. |
| CERN | Acronym for the Geneva-based European Council for Nuclear Research, from its name in French (4) |
| OHIO | The city of Akron, the one-time 'Rubber Capital of the World', is in this U.S. state (4) |
| JOHNFETTERMAN | This U.S. senator has regularly violated the Senate's dress code since 2023 by wearing gym shorts and a hoodie into the chamber |
| NEWHAMPSHIRE | According to a June 10 Study by LendingTree, this U.S. state's residents tip waitstaff the most on average, at 16.07% |
| BSA | Grp. that dropped the "B" for "Boy" from its name in Feb. 2025 |
| NIPUP | The acrobatic feat of springing to one's feet from a position flat on one's back (3-2) |
| SHELL | Oil and gas company that, in November 2021, proposed moving to the UK and dropping "Royal Dutch" from its name |
| VIRGINIA | Six of the first ten U.S. presidents were born in this U.S. state (8) |
| CHANDRA | Launched from the space shuttle Columbia in 1999, this U.S. observatory was designed to make high-resolution images of celestial X-ray sources. (7) |
| NANCYPELOSI | This U.S. politician was also denied permission to visit Tibet in 2024; instead, she met the Dalai Lama in India |
