Obama's third secretary of defense (2013-15) Crossword Clue

We have the 5-letter answer for Obama's third secretary of defense (2013-15) crossword clue, last seen in the NYT Crossword May 16, 2026 puzzle. Sometimes we all need some help finding the answer!

Obama's third secretary of defense (2013-15) Crossword Answer

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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 (5/16/2026) Answers

Across

1. Modern "go-to's"

5. Curtain for silhouetting on stage

10. Bird on the South Carolina state quarter

14. Capote or chesterfield

15. Emulates E.T., in a way

17. Roman goddess who drives a two-horse chariot

18. Precious self-reference

19. Name shared by the singer of the #1 hit "Rock Me Gently" (1974) and the first Korean American elected to the U.S. Senate (2024)

21. Double-___ cassowary (bird of Indonesia and Australia)

22. Matches with forensics

24. Occasions to relax and recharge

26. Gasoline brand that offered the Torch Club credit card

27. Aid in making salsa

28. Operculum, e.g.

31. Capital of Greenland

32. They're hard to pull off

33. Spa service, in brief

34. Up to snuff, facetiously

35. Trickles

36. Cup holders

37. Many a Porsche 911

38. Practical types who are often perfectionists, it's said

39. "Don't start with me"

43. Difficult effort

44. Cut out

46. Setting for Seurat's "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte"

48. Cold-smoked lox

49. 7 up, perhaps

50. Gulf of ___, waters that abut Djibouti and Somaliland

51. Vanilla units

52. Spouts

53. Romp

All Answers

Down

1. Victor over Washington on 11/12/1955 in "Back to the Future, Pt. II" - and in real life

2. Cattle call

3. Went wide or long, as a tennis ball

4. "No closer!"

5. Takes off

6. Wind pipe?

7. Blight

8. Getting a break on Broadway?

9. Medleys

10. Marriott property with the slogan "Whatever Whenever"

11. Triumphs smoothly

12. ___ Brickowski ("The Lego Movie" protagonist)

13. "What this country ___ …"

16. Certain volleyballer

20. Deck

23. Once-popular terra-cotta figurine

24. Trigger hair

27. State in which Gulliver is discovered by the Lilliputians

28. Combo meal upgrade

29. Going back ages

30. ___ track

32. Folks who enjoy a well-aged beef?

33. Borderline

35. Echolocation systems

36. Element between copper and gallium on the periodic table

37. Spelling combinations?

38. They're concerned with feeding kits

39. Pharyngeal woe

40. Cynthia ___, Tony winner for "The Color Purple"

41. Buckled

42. Extend in a way

45. Chilly and damp

47. "___ noticed"

All Answers