To evaluate the expression \(-8 \cdot 9 \div [-8 - (-4)]\), we follow the order of operations (PEMDAS/BODMAS):
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Calculate inside the brackets: \[ -8 - (-4) = -8 + 4 = -4 \] So we can rewrite the expression as: \[ -8 \cdot 9 \div -4 \]
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Perform the multiplication: \[ -8 \cdot 9 = -72 \] Now we have: \[ -72 \div -4 \]
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Perform the division: \[ -72 \div -4 = 18 \]
So the final answer is: \[ \boxed{18} \]