REF is an answer for the NYT Crossword puzzle. Here you can get the history and usage for REF in NYT Crossword from 1994.
This "REF" answer was first appeared in "7 Dec 1993" NYT Crossword for the hint of "Foul caller (3)". It was authored by Eric Albert. Recently, the "REF" answer has been used for "3 Dec 2023" NYT Crossword for the hint of "Flag thrower, informally". It was authored by Tracy Bennett. "REF" appeared 172 times in Shortz Era puzzles. So lets take a look for clue and answer history of "REF" word.
| Date | Grid | Clue | Author |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Dec 2023 | 86D | Flag thrower, informally | Tracy Bennett |
| 27 Nov 2023 | 30A | One who keeps order on the court? | Ricky J. Sirois |
| 20 Sep 2023 | 55A | One who cries “Foul!” | Gina Turner |
| 13 Aug 2023 | 110D | One making calls, informally | Manaal Mohammed |
| 9 Jul 2023 | 73A | Zebra | Christina Iverson |
| 28 Feb 2023 | 28A | Soccer official, informally | Gia Bosko |
| 23 Jan 2023 | 37D | Official with a whistle | Adrian Johnson |
| 12 Jan 2023 | 4D | Certain whistle-blower | Grant Thackray |
| 14 Oct 2022 | 56D | Card holder, maybe | David Steinberg |
| 12 Oct 2022 | 8D | Expert with flags, perhaps | Drew Schmenner |
| 3 Oct 2022 | 47D | Whistle blower | Sarah Sinclair |
| 7 Aug 2022 | 73D | One calling a “T” | Tina Labadie |
| 26 Jul 2022 | 54A | N.B.A. official | Lillian Simpson |
| 11 Jun 2022 | 7D | Authority in the field, informally | Sid Sivakumar |
| 29 May 2022 | 89D | Court figure, informally | Daniel Bodily and Jeff Chen |
| 12 May 2022 | 47A | One who whistles while working? | Ross Trudeau |
| 11 May 2022 | 12A | One with a whistle … who sometimes 1-Across? | Michael Paleos |
| 16 Jan 2022 | 74D | “Zebra” | Derrick Niederman |
| 9 Aug 2021 | 29D | One tweeting about football? | Alex Eaton-Salners |
| 7 Jul 2021 | 20A | One who whistles while working | Peter A. Collins |
| 27 Jun 2021 | 37D | One enforcing traveling rules | Ross Trudeau and Lindsey Hobbs |
| 3 May 2021 | 6D | Official with a whistle | Ross Trudeau |
| 27 Mar 2021 | 30D | One making a call | Michael Hawkins |
| 21 Mar 2021 | 101A | Target of the heckle “What game are you watching?!” | Julian Kwan |
| 13 Jan 2021 | 38A | Officiate, informally | Matthew Stock |
| 21 Dec 2020 | 30D | Sports official, informally | Sarah Keller and Derek Bowman |
| 20 Dec 2020 | 111D | One whistling while working in the Garden? | Randolph Ross |
| 8 Dec 2020 | 3D | Arena arbiter, informally | Enrique Henestroza Anguiano |
| 8 Jun 2020 | 49A | Whistleblower? | Kyle Dolan |
| 20 May 2020 | 5D | Zebra, slangily | Natan Last, Andy Kravis and The J.A.S.A. Crossword Class |
| 4 Jan 2020 | 22D | One often accused of blindness | Adam Aaronson |
| 18 Dec 2019 | 13D | Call, as a game | Margaret Saine |
| 16 May 2019 | 9A | One to whom you might say “Boo!” | Jeff Chen |
| 14 May 2019 | 13D | Yellow card issuer | Damon Gulczynski |
| 3 Apr 2019 | 3D | One issuing red cards, for short | Ross Trudeau |
| 19 Mar 2019 | 22D | Call, as a soccer game | Daniel Larsen |
| 6 Jan 2019 | 91D | Flag thrower | Zhouqin Burnikel |
| 10 Sep 2018 | 9D | Wearer of stripes on a court, informally | Jacob Stulberg |
| 30 Jul 2018 | 5D | Official with a whistle, informally | Gary Cee |
| 24 Jun 2018 | 48D | Sports arbiter | Timothy Polin |
| 4 May 2018 | 53A | Not a team player | Michael Hawkins |
| 15 Nov 2017 | 1D | TKO caller | Steven E. Atwood |
| 14 Nov 2017 | 64D | One crying foul? | Jerry Miccolis and Jeff Chen |
| 22 Oct 2017 | 79A | Call, as a game | Tracy Gray |
| 31 Aug 2017 | 34D | Certain whistle blower | Zachary Spitz |
| 9 Mar 2017 | 23A | Sports monitor, for short | Jeremy Newton |
| 13 Feb 2017 | 32D | B-ball official | Brent Sverdloff and Michael Blake |
| 6 Feb 2017 | 13D | Coin flipper at the Super Bowl, informally | Andy Hinz |
| 5 Dec 2016 | 57A | Soccer official, for short | Ned White |
| 15 Jun 2016 | 39D | Red card issuer, for short | Jason Flinn |
| 4 Apr 2016 | 39A | Red or yellow card issuer | David Kwong |
| 21 Feb 2016 | 85D | Flag thrower | Patrick Berry |
| 20 Feb 2016 | 41A | Ruling body? | James Mulhern |
| 11 Nov 2015 | 25D | Zebra at a Lions game, say | David Steinberg |
| 8 Nov 2015 | 98A | One calling the shots, for short? | Tracy Gray |
| 8 Oct 2015 | 63D | One calling the shots? | Stu Ockman |
| 22 Feb 2015 | 52A | Flagman? | Patrick Berry |
| 3 Feb 2015 | 41D | One counting to 10, maybe | Joe Krozel |
| 12 Oct 2014 | 81A | Game warden? | Pawel Fludzinski |
| 14 Sep 2014 | 36D | Call | Tony Orbach and Patrick Blindauer |
| 16 Mar 2014 | 8D | Shot caller | Jeremy Newton |
| 16 Jan 2014 | 22A | Bartlett’s, e.g. | Elizabeth A. Long |
| 22 Dec 2013 | 33A | Make calls | Elizabeth C. Gorski |
| 25 Nov 2013 | 21D | Hoops official | Kevin G. Der |
| 22 Sep 2013 | 36D | Play watcher | Mike Selinker |
| 9 Aug 2013 | 26A | Play critic? | Patrick Berry |
| 29 Jul 2013 | 22D | Boxing official | Andrea Carla Michaels |
| 4 Jul 2013 | 9D | Whistle blower | Barry Franklin and Sara Kaplan |
| 27 May 2013 | 19D | Wrestling official, briefly | Doug Peterson |
| 31 Mar 2013 | 50D | Gridiron figure | Caleb Madison |
| 3 Dec 2012 | 46A | Officiate a football game, informally | Andrea Carla Michaels |
| 4 Oct 2012 | 6D | Dict., e.g. | Bill Thompson |
| 2 Oct 2012 | 1D | One who knows what it means to travel | Ethan Cooper |
| 29 Aug 2012 | 31A | Call a game | Tony Orbach |
| 13 Jul 2012 | 55D | Target of fans’ scorn | Jim Horne and Jeff Chen |
| 5 Jul 2012 | 60D | Zebra | Ian Livengood |
| 15 Apr 2012 | 99D | Interference detector? | Kevin G. Der |
| 5 Apr 2012 | 51D | Make some calls | Elizabeth C. Gorski |
| 22 Feb 2012 | 41D | Zebra | Karen Young Bonin |
| 10 Feb 2012 | 40A | Clock stopper, at times | Barry C. Silk and Brad Wilber |
| 18 Aug 2011 | 38A | Call, in a way | Kevan Choset |
| 29 Jul 2011 | 47A | Maker of calls | Paula Gamache |
| 16 Apr 2011 | 48A | Ruling official | Robert H. Wolfe |
| 2 Apr 2011 | 35D | O.E.D., e.g. | Mark Diehl |
| 28 Feb 2011 | 9D | Official in a striped shirt | Mike Buckley |
| 12 Nov 2010 | 55A | Expert on plays | Barry C. Silk |
| 15 Jun 2010 | 9D | Whistle blower, in brief | Jill Winslow |
| 31 Jan 2010 | 10D | Call, as a game | Tony Orbach and Andrea Carla Michaels |
| 16 Dec 2009 | 37D | Foul caller | David J. Kahn |
| 3 Dec 2009 | 52A | Call | Matt Ginsberg and Pete Muller |
| 28 Sep 2009 | 37A | B-ball official | Lynn Lempel |
| 17 Aug 2009 | 60A | Official with a whistle | Mike Buckley |
| 10 Aug 2009 | 23A | N.B.A. official | Paula Gamache |
| 30 Jul 2009 | 59A | Whistle blower | Ashish Vengsarkar |
| 10 May 2009 | 96A | One who works while others play? | Patrick Berry |
| 4 May 2009 | 10D | Fight adjudicator, for short | Mark Milhet |
| 5 Apr 2009 | 5D | Zebra | Charles Deber |
| 5 Sep 2008 | 4D | Fairness determiner | Kevin G. Der |
| 9 Dec 2007 | 56A | Play analyzer | Patrick Blindauer |
| 9 Oct 2007 | 42D | Hoops official | Timothy Powell |
| 15 May 2007 | 24A | Official, informally | John Halverson |
| 9 Apr 2007 | 10D | Ump | J. K. Hummel |
| 8 Nov 2006 | 58D | Whistler, at times | Lee Glickstein and Nancy Salomon |
| 1 Oct 2006 | 6D | Call | Ashish Vengsarkar |
| 2 Aug 2006 | 29D | Call the shots? | Harvey Estes |
| 19 Jul 2006 | 52A | Dict., e.g. | Alison Donald |
| 19 Mar 2006 | 66A | One making calls | Michael Shteyman |
| 23 Feb 2006 | 47A | Call, as a game | Todd McClary |
| 31 Oct 2005 | 34A | Whistle-blower on a court | Jim Hyres |
| 25 Sep 2005 | 61A | TKO caller | Matt Skoczen |
| 30 Aug 2005 | 24A | Whistle blower | Leonard Williams |
| 22 Aug 2005 | 64A | B-ball official | Lynn Lempel |
| 26 May 2005 | 35A | Fight stopper, at times | David J. Kahn |
| 4 Apr 2005 | 53A | Person in a zebra-striped shirt, informally | Christina Houlihan Kelly |
| 27 Mar 2005 | 64D | One whistling at athletes | Con Pederson |
| 27 Jan 2005 | 8D | Ring figure | Jim Hyres |
| 21 Nov 2004 | 13D | Officiate, briefly | Kumar Balani |
| 25 Oct 2004 | 10D | Ump | Kurt Mengel and Jan-Michele Gianette |
| 3 Jul 2004 | 58D | Make calls | Eric Berlin |
| 9 May 2004 | 96D | Whistle blower, for short | Charles M. Deber |
| 3 Jan 2004 | 39A | Expert on the rules | James M. and James C. Jenista |
| 11 Dec 2003 | 7D | Ring figure, familiarly | Ed Early |
| 9 Dec 2003 | 13D | Officiate | Alan Arbesfeld |
| 16 Nov 2003 | 10D | One who may O.K. a KO | Cathy Millhauser |
| 25 Aug 2003 | 60A | Whistle-blower? | Craig Kasper |
| 26 May 2003 | 5D | Gridiron official, for short | Lynn Lempel |
| 23 Apr 2003 | 10A | Sports “zebra” | Gilbert H. Ludwig |
| 16 Apr 2003 | 9D | Call, as a game | Elizabeth C. Gorski |
| 30 Mar 2003 | 6D | Make the calls | Alan Arbesfeld |
| 25 Sep 2002 | 7D | Whistle-blower | Tyler Hinman |
| 23 Jun 2002 | 93D | Coin flipper | Eric Berlin |
| 16 Jun 2002 | 81D | Whistle-blower | Manny Nosowsky |
| 4 Dec 2001 | 32A | Penalty declarer | Michael Shteyman |
| 12 Nov 2001 | 45A | Gridiron official, for short | Janice M. Putney |
| 1 Nov 2001 | 1A | Ring leader? | Rich Norris |
| 9 Sep 2001 | 76D | One who cries foul? | Harvey Estes and Nancy Salomon |
| 19 Aug 2001 | 76D | Call | David J. Kahn |
| 24 Jun 2001 | 112D | Zebra | Randolph Ross |
| 23 Jun 2001 | 24D | Webster’s or Bartlett’s | David J. Kahn |
| 21 Jun 2001 | 5D | Official | Peter Abide |
| 14 May 2001 | 38D | Striped shirt wearer | Gregory E. Paul |
| 16 Apr 2001 | 8D | Striped official | Peter Gordon |
| 12 Jan 2001 | 50A | Make calls | Mark Diehl |
| 10 Nov 2000 | 34A | Field marshal? | Bob Klahn |
| 10 Sep 2000 | 37A | Play analyzer | Elizabeth C. Gorski |
| 24 Aug 2000 | 39A | One with a match? | David J. Kahn |
| 28 Jul 2000 | 46A | Fight figure | Harvey Estes and Nancy Salomon |
| 11 Jul 2000 | 5D | Whistle blower | Nick Grivas and Nancy Salomon |
| 29 Jun 2000 | 36D | Foul caller | Robert H. Wolfe |
| 12 Mar 2000 | 15D | One who cries foul? | Elizabeth C. Gorski |
| 29 Dec 1999 | 2D | Person who whistles | Robert O. Dillman |
| 17 Nov 1999 | 46A | Flag thrower | Fred Piscop |
| 29 Jul 1999 | 30D | One in a corner? | David J. Kahn |
| 23 Jun 1999 | 29D | Striped shirt wearer | Alan Olschwang |
| 15 Jun 1999 | 52A | Ump | Stephanie Spadaccini |
| 4 May 1998 | 49D | Game official | Hugh Davis |
| 22 Jan 1998 | 4D | Make the calls | Patrick Jordan |
| 12 Oct 1997 | 9D | Call, in a way | Nancy Salomon |
| 29 Sep 1997 | 39D | Third man in the ring | Randy Sowell |
| 28 Oct 1996 | 7D | N.B.A. official | R. Norris |
| 1 Jul 1996 | 49D | Ump | S. Spadaccini |
| 19 May 1996 | 13D | Officiate | C. M. Deber |
| 22 Feb 1996 | 9D | Ring official | C. Deodene |
| 17 Nov 1995 | 43A | 1994 Judy Davis film, with “The” | Fran & Lou Sabin |
| 6 Nov 1995 | 4D | Ump | Roger H. Courtney |
| 11 May 1995 | 51A | One in the middle of a fight | Wayne Robert Williams |
| 23 Jul 1994 | 32D | Third man in a ring | Randolph Ross |
| 20 Apr 1994 | 32D | Person in stripes | Walter Webb |
| 7 Mar 1994 | 9D | Ring leader? | Alex K. Justin |
| 6 Feb 1994 | 49A | Person with a whistle | Arthur S. Verdesca |
| 2 Jan 1994 | 112A | One who wears stripes | Brian G. Tyler |
| 7 Dec 1993 | 9D | Foul caller | Eric Albert |
Here you get REF answered all clues with dates, Grid, and Author info. If REF will be used in a new NYT Crossword, that will be updated here.