Mountain range that spans 67º of latitude

ANDES

["Here’s a helpful hint for your crossword clue:\n\n**\"This South American range is the longest in the world—its name starts with 'A' and ends with 'S'.\"**\n\nThis hint:\n- Narrows the focus to South America (where the Andes are located).\n- Highlights the uniqueness of the range (longest in the world).\n- Provides a partial letter structure (A_ _ _ S) to guide the solver without giving away the full answer.\n\nIt’s easier than the original clue but still requires some geographical knowledge or deduction."]

The clue **"Mountain range that spans 67º of latitude"** leads to the answer **"ANDES"** through a combination of geographical knowledge and wordplay. 1. **Geographical Reference**: The Andes is the longest continental mountain range in the world, stretching along the western edge of South America. It spans approximately **67 degrees of latitude**, from around **10°N** (in Colombia) to **57°S** (in Argentina/Chile), making the clue factually accurate. 2. **Wordplay (Hidden in Plain Sight)**: The number **"67"** is subtly embedded in the word **"ANDES"** itself. If you look at the letters: - **"A"** is the **1st** letter of the alphabet. - **"N"** is the **14th**. - **"D"** is the **4th**. - **"E"** is the **5th**. - **"S"** is the **19th**. Adding the numerical values of the first two letters (**A + N = 1 + 14 = 15**) and the last two letters (**D + E = 4 + 5 = 9**) gives **15 + 9 = 24**, but this doesn't directly lead to 67. Instead, a simpler approach is to note that **"AN"** (the first two letters) is the **1st and 14th letters**, and **"DES"** (the last three letters) can be interpreted as **"55"** (since **D = 4**, **E = 5**, and **S = 19**, but this is less straightforward). A more plausible wordplay angle is that **"ANDES"** contains the Roman numeral **"D"** (500) and **"E"** (which can represent 5 in some contexts), but this is speculative. The most straightforward explanation is that the **Andes mountain range literally spans 67 degrees of latitude**, making the clue a direct reference rather than a complex wordplay puzzle. Thus, the answer **"ANDES"** fits perfectly as the mountain range that meets the given geographical condition.