LA Times Crossword · 17-Across · 8 letters
"Could there possibly be a good explanation for this?" LA Times Crossword clue
Editorially reviewed August 27, 2026
Complete the phrase
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Phrase cue
Use an eight-letter grid phrase beginning with a cautious challenge.
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Answer
Why these words complete it
DAREIASK condenses the quoted skeptical question into the idiomatic phrase DARE I ASK, entered without spaces or punctuation.
Continue this puzzle"Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" network →The phrase frame
Quotation marks ask for a natural spoken expression with the same doubtful tone.
What the completed phrase means
"Dare I ask?" is a wary question used when someone expects an unpleasant or surprising explanation.
Where this clue appeared
17-Across in LA Times Crossword puzzle for August 27, 2026.
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