Reflecting on Changes

Ooh, this is a good one! Wish I'd thought of this mechanism.

Super clever! Beautiful construction!

The meta answer is FUNHOUSE (Hint: Look for an 8-letter place). The 4 longest Across answers on the grid's left side are placed symmetrically across from the 4 longest answers on the grid's right side ... so that their positions mirror one another. (This is hinted at by the puzzle's title, "Reflecting on Changes.")

Speaking of mirrors: those 4 pairs of Across answers are also near-perfect reflections of one another letter-wise as well. The long right-side long answers are the long left-side answers spelled backward, except for one changed letter (also hinted at in the puzzle's title). For example, "SELFDOM" backwards would be "MODFLES," but its corresponding "mirror" word is "MODULES"--and the difference between the two words are the symmetrically placed letters "U" and "F". Here are all the pairs:

SEL(F)DOM <-> MOD(U)LES

RE(N)TALS <-> SLAT(H)ER

DEC(O)DER <-> RED(U)CED

(S)TARTIN <-> NITRAT(E)

From left to right and top to bottom, they spell FUNHOUSE--a place known for mirrors with distorted (changed) reflections, and an 8-letter word that satisfies the puzzle's hint.

That was a fun solve! Lovely aha! Moments.

So fun! I've been enjoying all your metas so far, but I think this is my favorite.

Very nice! Clean, enjoyable grid for the basic solve and such an accessible meta (though I missed the clue in the title) that even I was able to solve it!

Very clever construction with a very satisfying solve. Those two don’t always line up, so kudos on this one!

Good puzzle, thanks for explaining the meta. I liked 18A, 34A

That grid was so smooth and fun that I didn't realize it was also a meta, at first! And the meta solve was just as smooth and fun.