20 Across

NYT Daily • August 4, 2025

Rotary phone feature

Answer:

DIAL

Hint:

["Think of what you spin to call on an old-fashioned telephone."]

Explanation:

The clue "Rotary phone feature" leads to the answer "DIAL" through a straightforward reference to a characteristic part of a rotary phone. Before the era of digital and push-button phones, rotary phones were common. These phones featured a circular device called a dial, which users would rotate with their finger to input each number when making a call. The dial is an essential and defining feature of a rotary phone, making "DIAL" the correct answer to the clue.

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