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“Hoops arbiter”

The verified answer to the Newsday Crossword clue “Hoops arbiter”, with letter-by-letter analysis and the full puzzle context for the Thursday, November 20, 2025 puzzle.

Published · Down · 3 letters

Hints first

Letters 3
First letter R
Last letter F
R ? F

A 3-letter down entry from the Thursday puzzle

The Answer

R E F

The answer to “Hoops arbiter” is REF

Letters 3
Direction Down
Published Nov 20, 2025

Letter analysis: the 3-letter answer

Vowels, consonants, and crossword construction notes
Unique 3 of 3 positions
Vowels 1 33% of word
Consonants 2 non-vowels
First letter R starts with

The clue “Hoops arbiter” appeared in the Newsday Crossword on Thursday, November 20, 2025 as a down entry. The verified answer is REF — a 3-letter word that begins with R and ends with F.

This answer contains 1 vowel and 2 consonants. The Newsday Crossword is published daily by Newsday on Long Island and edited by Stan Newman, whose Saturday Stumper is widely considered one of the toughest mainstream crosswords in print.

Other clues with the answer REF

REF has been used as the answer for these Newsday Crossword clues
“Penalty caller” May 24, 2026 “Basketball official” Jan 20, 2026 “NHL official” Jan 15, 2026 “Gridiron judge” Dec 28, 2025 “Football official, for short” Oct 13, 2025 “Make calls” Apr 19, 2025 “Football official, for short” Feb 25, 2025 “Touchdown caller, for short” Feb 4, 2025

More clues from the November 20, 2025 puzzle

Thursday Newsday Crossword
View full puzzle
Pleiades supercomputer owner 4 ℓ · D Bub 3 ℓ · D Don't use 4 ℓ · D Pick up all of 6 ℓ · D Evince a response 5 ℓ · A Six-footer with feathers 3 ℓ · D Major span 3 ℓ · D Like Mojave National Park 4 ℓ · A Checking before buying 8 ℓ · D Disallow 4 ℓ · D Stir up 4 ℓ · D Diner, for instance 3 ℓ · D Sleeper at New England's Ben Franklin College 3 ℓ · D Treating phrase 4 ℓ · A Beloved star 4 ℓ · D Steak au poivre __ sauce 4 ℓ · D Tinsel time 4 ℓ · D White waders 6 ℓ · D War of words 15 ℓ · A

Frequently asked questions about “Hoops arbiter”

What is the answer to “Hoops arbiter” in the Newsday Crossword?

The verified answer is REF — a 3-letter word that appeared as a down entry on Thursday, November 20, 2025.

How many letters is the answer to “Hoops arbiter”?

The answer REF contains 3 letters.

Was “Hoops arbiter” an across or down clue?

This clue ran as a Down entry.

Is this site affiliated with Newsday?

No. This is an independent fan reference site — we are not affiliated with Newsday. The Newsday Crossword is a trademark of its respective owner. We solve and verify each Newsday Crossword puzzle manually before publishing the answer key.

Hoops arbiter — Newsday Crossword Clue Answer | Newsday Crossword Answers