Those enforcing rules that Kings must live by Crossword Clue
Looking for the answer to “Those enforcing rules that Kings must live by” from the Washington Post Sunday crossword of January 4, 2026? It has 4 letters. Flip the tiles one at a time, try a hint first, or look through the rest of that puzzle.
Crossword answer
WASHINGTON POST SUNDAY, JANUARY 4, 2026
Tap a tile to see one letter, or show the whole answer.
REFS is the answer to “Those enforcing rules that Kings must live by”. It means to referee.
Hints
Three clues to the answer, gentle first. Open one at a time.
Hint 1 Meaning
To referee.
Hint 2 Anagram
Its letters, scrambled: ERSF.
Hint 3 Another clue
It has also been clued as “WNBA officials”.
More clues from the Washington Post Sunday (January 4, 2026)
Across
- 1. Supervolcano stuff4 letters, starts with LLAVA
- 5. Minor quarrel4 letters, starts with SSPAT
- 9. Many Gmail attachments4 letters, starts with PPDFS
- 13. Some regatta trophies4 letters, starts with OOARS
- 17. Cools with cold cubes4 letters, starts with IICES
- 18. Tell it!4 letters, starts with TTALE
- 19. Be in store for5 letters, starts with AAWAIT
- 21. Not trapped anymore5 letters, starts with FFREED
- 23. "True Flabby Preludes (for a Dog)" composer (Pennsylvania)9 letters, starts with EERIKSATIE
- 25. Mosquito-borne illness (Colorado)11 letters, starts with DDENGUEFEVER
- 27. Perceived by touch or taste, e.g.7 letters, starts with SSENSATE
- 28. Yearns (for)5 letters, starts with LLONGS
- 29. Feeling when blowing a fuse3 letters, starts with IIRE
- 30. ___ Bulletin (magazine with brain games)5 letters, starts with MMENSA
- 33. Pipe full of hot air4 letters, starts with FFLUE
- 34. Bombs in the NFL, e.g.6 letters, starts with PPASSES
- 37. Businesses involved in the mass production of clothing, collectively (Indiana)15 letters, starts with GGARMENTINDUSTRY
- 43. Saxophonists' items5 letters, starts with RREEDS
- 44. Marian Anderson performance that is aptly hidden in her name4 letters, starts with AARIA
- 45. Hearty bar beverage5 letters, starts with SSTOUT
- 46. Produce, as a tone4 letters, starts with EEMIT
- 48. Change, as boundary lines6 letters, starts with RREDRAW
- 51. "No need to go on" (Oklahoma)10 letters, starts with EENOUGHSAID
- 55. Narrative progression3 letters, starts with AARC
- 58. Significant other3 letters, starts with BBAE
- 59. Those enforcing rules that Kings must live by4 letters, starts with RREFS
- 61. Turbine spinners6 letters, starts with RROTORS
- 62. Deadly contest4 letters, starts with DDUEL
- 63. "Secret" ingredient?5 letters, starts with SSAUCE
- 65. Steering wheels at sea5 letters, starts with HHELMS
- 66. HR booster6 letters, starts with CCARDIO
- 68. Documentary photographer who's considered a pioneer of South African resistance art (Nebraska)10 letters, starts with OOMARBADSHA
- 72. Critical moment (Michigan)10 letters, starts with FFLASHPOINT
- 74. Western justice figure6 letters, starts with LLAWMAN
- 75. "___ Kitchen" (cooking competition show)5 letters, starts with HHELLS
- 77. Big animal desired in a 1953 Gayla Peevey Christmas song, briefly5 letters, starts with HHIPPO
- 78. "How unfortunate"4 letters, starts with AALAS
- 79. Take badly?6 letters, starts with TTHIEVE
- 81. Strip, as a citrus layer4 letters, starts with PPEEL
- 82. Monounsaturated or polyunsaturated substance3 letters, starts with FFAT
- 85. Be up in the air?3 letters, starts with FFLY
- 86. 2010 sci-fi sequel involving a virtual reality world called the Grid (California)10 letters, starts with TTRONLEGACY
- 89. Creature featured on Catster6 letters, starts with FFELINE
- 91. Former senator Evan4 letters, starts with BBAYH
- 92. Take to task5 letters, starts with SSCOLD
- 94. Resort near Snowbird4 letters, starts with AALTA
- 95. Sober and serious5 letters, starts with SSTAID
- 98. "... but this might not be the case" (Utah)15 letters, starts with OORSOITWOULDSEEM
- 104. Martin who won an Oscar for his portrayal of Bela Lugosi in "Ed Wood"6 letters, starts with LLANDAU
- 106. Monopoly deed figure4 letters, starts with RRENT
- 107. Contemptuous smile5 letters, starts with SSNEER
- 108. "wow this is gr8!"3 letters, starts with OOMG
- 109. Edgar ___, FBI special agent played by Rob Brown on "Blindspot"5 letters, starts with RREADE
- 111. "Don't worry about it"7 letters, starts with TTHATSOK
- 116. Dish featuring a bag of chips often filled with ground beef, cheese, beans, salsa and sour cream (Texas)11 letters, starts with WWALKINGTACO
- 120. Currently out (Alaska)9 letters, starts with NNOTATHOME
- 122. Reason for a winter weather advisory5 letters, starts with SSLEET
- 123. "Don't just sit there!"5 letters, starts with GGETUP
- 124. Cake-baking appliance4 letters, starts with OOVEN
- 125. "Tell it!"4 letters, starts with AAMEN
- 126. "And so ..."4 letters, starts with EERGO
- 127. Co. division4 letters, starts with DDEPT
- 128. Go through a kiddie pool4 letters, starts with WWADE
- 129. "Jack and Jill ___ up the hill ..."4 letters, starts with WWENT
Down
- 1. Deceitful declarations4 letters, starts with LLIES
- 2. Section of a field4 letters, starts with AACRE
- 3. Circulatory system tube4 letters, starts with VVEIN
- 4. Shows curiosity4 letters, starts with AASKS
- 5. College of ___ Island (East Coast Conference school)6 letters, starts with SSTATEN
- 6. Inventors' safeguards7 letters, starts with PPATENTS
- 7. "Champions aren't made in gyms" writer Muhammad3 letters, starts with AALI
- 8. Piece of concert merch3 letters, starts with TTEE
- 9. Knee or shoulder cover3 letters, starts with PPAD
- 10. Resides (in)6 letters, starts with DDWELLS
- 11. Disperse during a search6 letters, starts with FFANOUT
- 12. Endorser with a pen6 letters, starts with SSIGNER
- 13. Missing the mark3 letters, starts with OOFF
- 14. "All systems ___ go"3 letters, starts with AARE
- 15. Update, as a blog post6 letters, starts with RREVISE
- 16. Blow a fuse6 letters, starts with SSEERED
- 20. A real jerk3 letters, starts with TTUG
- 22. Apparel often featured on "Project Runway"5 letters, starts with DDRESS
- 24. ___-sex marriage4 letters, starts with SSAME
- 26. Power that Karen in "Mean Girls" thought she might have (but she thought it had an N at the end, which made it a sports network)3 letters, starts with EESP
- 31. Chrome destinations5 letters, starts with SSITES
- 32. In a bit, in a poem4 letters, starts with AANON
- 33. It's gonna happen6 letters, starts with FFUTURE
- 35. Like a rainless terrain4 letters, starts with AARID
- 36. Tennis match segment3 letters, starts with SSET
- 37. Attire4 letters, starts with GGARB
- 38. Surface calculation4 letters, starts with AAREA
- 39. Heads off into the sunset, as in a western9 letters, starts with RRIDESAWAY
- 40. Damage the surface of3 letters, starts with MMAR
- 41. Green owl mascot of a language-learning app3 letters, starts with DDUO
- 42. 2026, e.g.4 letters, starts with YYEAR
- 47. Rapscallion's deeds8 letters, starts with MMISCHIEF
- 49. Island setting of Arikok National Park5 letters, starts with AARUBA
- 50. "Let's give it a shot and see what happens"8 letters, starts with WWECANTRY
- 52. Goes for a drive?5 letters, starts with GGOLFS
- 53. Comp sci major's code4 letters, starts with HHTML
- 54. McGwire's slugging rival in 1998 and 19994 letters, starts with SSOSA
- 55. Voice Memos recording, e.g.9 letters, starts with AAUDIOFILE
- 56. "Seabiscuit" director?4 letters, starts with RREIN
- 57. Coagulate4 letters, starts with CCLOT
- 60. Given lunch or dinner3 letters, starts with FFED
- 62. Little bit of liquid4 letters, starts with DDROP
- 64. Limbs providing hugs4 letters, starts with AARMS
- 65. Divide into two equal portions5 letters, starts with HHALVE
- 67. Fruit that tempted Atalanta5 letters, starts with AAPPLE
- 68. "Frozen" friend of Anna4 letters, starts with OOLAF
- 69. Santa's venue, often4 letters, starts with MMALL
- 70. It's over a foot4 letters, starts with SSHIN
- 71. It's part of a foot4 letters, starts with HHEEL
- 73. ___-Hulk (member of Marvel's Lady Liberators)3 letters, starts with SSHE
- 76. Moves on foot quickly6 letters, starts with LLEGSIT
- 80. Snack that sounds like it would be Santa's favorite treat4 letters, starts with HHOHO
- 81. Orange marker in the corner of an end zone5 letters, starts with PPYLON
- 83. Payment before a deal4 letters, starts with AANTE
- 84. Tournament group4 letters, starts with TTEAM
- 86. Cry after a magic trick4 letters, starts with TTADA
- 87. Have a part to play3 letters, starts with AACT
- 88. Ranch beasts4 letters, starts with CCOWS
- 90. "Viva ___ Vegas"3 letters, starts with LLAS
- 91. Offer made on eBay3 letters, starts with BBID
- 93. Shared a number?7 letters, starts with DDUETTED
- 95. Lowers one's speed5 letters, starts with SSLOWS
- 96. Husk-wrapped dish6 letters, starts with TTAMALE
- 97. Fishhook user6 letters, starts with AANGLER
- 99. Like "It"6 letters, starts with RRRATED
- 100. Calm before a procedure, say6 letters, starts with SSEDATE
- 101. Eight fluid ounces6 letters, starts with OONECUP
- 102. "Shutter Island" author Dennis6 letters, starts with LLEHANE
- 103. "Dash it all!"4 letters, starts with DDRAT
- 105. Mantel receptacle3 letters, starts with UURN
- 110. "Deviled" food item3 letters, starts with EEGG
- 112. Soften in the spring4 letters, starts with TTHAW
- 113. "___ Like It Hot"4 letters, starts with SSOME
- 114. What a diviner may interpret4 letters, starts with OOMEN
- 115. Clark of "Smallville"4 letters, starts with KKENT
- 117. Beer bash barrel3 letters, starts with KKEG
- 118. "Trial of the Century" judge Lance3 letters, starts with IITO
- 119. Make a selection3 letters, starts with OOPT
- 120. "How do you like me ___?!"3 letters, starts with NNOW
- 121. Fertility lab donations3 letters, starts with OOVA
Fresh clues from recent puzzles
Questions
What is the answer to “Those enforcing rules that Kings must live by”?
REFS, 4 letters: to referee.
When was “Those enforcing rules that Kings must live by” last seen in a crossword?
In the Washington Post Sunday crossword of January 4, 2026.
How many letters does the answer have?
4 letters, starting with R.