Barack Obama's final secretary of defense (2015-17) Crossword Clue

We have the 9-letter answer for Barack Obama's final secretary of defense (2015-17) crossword clue, last seen in the NYT Crossword August 16, 2025 puzzle. Let us help you solve the crossword clue that has you stumped so you can finish the puzzle.

Barack Obama's final secretary of defense (2015-17) Crossword Answer

↓9.

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Helpful Hints

Hint 1: Clue Definitions

SECRETARY (noun)
1. a person to whom a secret is entrusted
2. an assistant who handles correspondence and clerical work for a boss or an organization
DEFENSE (noun)
1. the speech act of answering an attack on your assertions
2. (sports) the team that is trying to prevent the other team from scoring

More NYT Crossword (8/16/2025) Answers

Across

1. Beauty lounge, of a sort

11. Calm

15. Mexico's Chamber of Deputies or France's National Assembly, for example

16. Cash on hand?

17. French kiss kissers

18. Pull

19. Leading counsel?

20. Parting word

21. One of the First Nations

22. Tied up

24. Évariste ___, 19th-century French math prodigy for whom a differential theory is named

27. Melancholy 1964 #1 hit for Bobby Vinton

28. Sponge brand originally spelled with two hyphens

29. Spots

30. N.B.A. stat: Abbr.

31. Slightly

32. Practitioner of black magic

33. Kind of box for media watchers

34. "___ the Damn Season" (Taylor Swift holiday song)

35. Machine for a highway crew

36. Like bismuth and bitcoin

37. Swimwear that can be worn as shorts

39. Full of snickers

40. Try to break, as a bad habit

41. Curve that's high and outside?

42. Abbreviated first name found three times on the signed Declaration of Independence

43. 1990 novelty dance inspired by a comics superhero

48. Staple of an outdoor reception

49. Became a marquee name, say

50. Logical connective

51. Lovers of "Emma" and "Persuasion"

52. Equine color

53. Way to begin gaming, say

All Answers

Down

1. Appearance of the marine creature called "by-the-wind sailor"

2. Run easily

3. Hasn't settled up

4. Foundered, as an investigation

5. Nintendo title character with a head mirror

6. Largest of the Dodecanese islands

7. "___ changed"

8. "___ disagree"

10. One who profits from eBay, say

11. Expedite

12. Rock solid

13. Where the 10th Amendment leaves many issues

14. Call to whomever

23. ___ Alamitos, Calif.

24. Dairy spread in a health food store

25. Bond classification

26. Tony-winning actress who provided the singing voice for the Disney princesses Jasmine and Mulan

27. Is a social butterfly

29. Like a typical flight from New York to London

32. Shower drain protector

33. Property of a wet suit or shapewear

35. Smack in the middle of a crowd, in brief?

36. Units for measuring bacteria and dust

38. Surmount

39. Hazards for high heels

41. Provides job assistance?

44. To be to Brutus

45. __ Hari

46. Part of A.S.L.: Abbr.

47. Group of spies, say

All Answers