Official with a whistle

The answer

REF

3 letters. See every clue for this answer on the REF answer page.

Used 13 times across 10 distinct years; most recently in 2026; first recorded in 2008. It appears in 7 publications in the xd corpus. Frequency and last-seen figures come from the xd crossword corpus only.

Other clues for REF

Every other clue in this collection answered by REF, most used first.

• Ump - used 75 times, most recently in 2026
• Whistle blower - used 67 times, most recently in 2026
• Game caller - used 65 times, most recently in 2026
• Game official - used 52 times, most recently in 2026
• NFL official - used 44 times, most recently in 2026
• NBA official - used 43 times, most recently in 2026
• Field worker - used 30 times, most recently in 2026
• TKO caller - used 28 times, most recently in 2020
• Foul caller - used 27 times, most recently in 2026
• Ump's kin - used 26 times, most recently in 2016
• Ump's relative - used 21 times, most recently in 2026
• WNBA official - used 20 times, most recently in 2026
• Penalty caller - used 19 times, most recently in 2026
• Call, as a game - used 18 times, most recently in 2023
• Flag thrower - used 18 times, most recently in 2025
• Court arbiter - used 15 times, most recently in 2016
• Football official - used 14 times, most recently in 2020
• Hockey official - used 14 times, most recently in 2024
• One who cries foul? - used 14 times, most recently in 2024
• Third man in the ring - used 14 times, most recently in 2009
• Ump's cousin - used 14 times, most recently in 2026
• Boxing official - used 13 times, most recently in 2020
• Ring official - used 13 times, most recently in 2022
• Striped-shirt wearer - used 13 times, most recently in 2017
• Basketball official - used 12 times, most recently in 2026
• Football official, for short - used 12 times, most recently in 2025
• Court official - used 11 times, most recently in 2026
• Gridiron official - used 11 times, most recently in 2026
• Gridiron official, for short - used 11 times, most recently in 2026
• Gridiron "zebra" - used 11 times, most recently in 2020
• Ring figure - used 10 times, most recently in 2008
• Zebra - used 10 times, most recently in 2023
• Make calls - used 9 times, most recently in 2025
• Officiate - used 9 times, most recently in 2023
• Rink official - used 9 times, most recently in 2010
• Soccer official - used 9 times, most recently in 2025
• B-ball official - used 8 times, most recently in 2025
• Call maker - used 8 times, most recently in 2025
• Field marshal? - used 8 times, most recently in 2021
• Slo-mo reviewer - used 8 times, most recently in 2026
• Sports "zebra" - used 8 times, most recently in 2016
• TD caller - used 8 times, most recently in 2020
• Ump's colleague - used 8 times, most recently in 2015
• Call the shots? - used 7 times, most recently in 2026
• KO caller - used 7 times, most recently in 2023
• Official - used 7 times, most recently in 2024
• Ring arbiter - used 7 times, most recently in 2025
• Ring leader? - used 7 times, most recently in 2012
• Sports official - used 7 times, most recently in 2023
• Touchdown caller, for short - used 7 times, most recently in 2025
• Ump's counterpart - used 7 times, most recently in 2018
• Zebra on a field - used 7 times, most recently in 2024
• Basketball official, for short - used 6 times, most recently in 2022
• Clipping caller - used 6 times, most recently in 2021
• Field judge - used 6 times, most recently in 2021
• Play reviewer - used 6 times, most recently in 2026
• TKO decider - used 6 times, most recently in 2015
• Ump relative - used 6 times, most recently in 2020

Related clues

Clues in this collection of the same answer length that share a word with this clue, or match its answer pattern when no word is shared. Most used first.

• With it - HIP, used 149 times
• Prefix with center - EPI, used 134 times
• Work with - USE, used 117 times
• Prefix with natal - NEO, used 100 times
• Go out with - SEE, used 98 times
• Barely manage, with "out" - EKE, used 90 times

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