Shakedown
a cryptic puzzle by Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon
The word TRANSPOSE, if shaken down—that is, anagrammed repeatedly with one letter deleted at each step-may form the following sequence: TRANSPOSE, PROTEANS, SEAPORT, ORATES, ASTER, SEAT, TEA, AT, A. This puzzle's unclued entries form a similar sequence of words shaken down from 11 letters to one. The 11-letter word may be thought to identify the steps. Entries in all include five proper nouns.
Across
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10.
Structural change in Tacoma (8)
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11.
Walker Percy's first race novel (5)
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12.
Puzzling nature captivates American playwright (11)
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14.
Ill humor about British book (5)
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16.
A lot of water was first made leakproof (6)
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17.
Vireo's tail breaks eggs (6)
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19.
Upon reflection, prophet possesses the same cures (8)
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20.
Leader of Congress interrupts real peace (5)
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24.
A swelling among the demagogues (5)
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26.
A pound gained after diet: that won't kill you (8)
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27.
"Lumpy" ran loud dances (7)
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29.
Somebody running off with part of steel operation (6)
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30.
Insect ingests nitrogen for a time (5)
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32.
Left a stud unfinished in porch (5)
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33.
Sweet drinks containing insubstantial eggs? (8)
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34.
Almost fix soda fountain (3)
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35.
Car engine's running rules? (10)
Down
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1.
European car's choking sound heard (4)
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2.
Composer going after ultimate greens (7)
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3.
Study Spanish article in a binder (7)
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4.
Operator calling in neglect of duty (8)
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5.
Heartless firearm makes you upset (4)
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6.
A fur's covering Eastern monkeys (7)
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7.
Provider of a trip for a Spanish hero (4)
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8.
Study end of Great Depression (4)
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9.
"It's a part of the body that's small or large," Leno cracked (9)
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13.
Spike, after film rating's back (4)
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15.
Crime group upset, and plot miserably failed (6)
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18.
Brown University involved in second New Testament article (6)
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21.
Clinton's beginning a story about alternative energy source (7)
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22.
Soon, one among hundreds will be orthodox (7)
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23.
Name involved in most of water power (7)
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25.
What's similar to a horse shoe (4)
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28.
Blow accomplices up (4)
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29.
Colony member at first exhausted when climbing mountain (4)
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31.
Unfavorably review the guy's debut of Showboat (4)