You’re staring at the grid. The black-and-white squares are mocking you because you have four letters, a couple of vowels, and a clue that just says "Beat it!" It sounds aggressive. It sounds like Michael Jackson. But in the world of the New York Times crossword or the LA Times daily puzzle, "Beat it" is a linguistic chameleon that can mean five different things depending on whether the constructor is feeling playful or literal. Honestly, it’s one of those clues that makes you want to toss your pencil across the room. You've probably tried SCRAM. Maybe you tried VAMOOSE. But the grid isn't budging.
Crosswords aren't just about vocabulary. They’re about vibes. When a constructor writes "Beat it," they might be looking for a slangy command, a musical reference, or a literal action involving a rug or an egg. This ambiguity is what keeps the game interesting, but it's also what keeps you stuck on a Tuesday morning.
The Usual Suspects for Beat It
Most of the time, the answer is a four or five-letter word that essentially means "get lost." The most common answer by a landslide is SCRAM. It’s short. It’s punchy. It fits into those tight corners of the grid where vowels go to die. According to crossword databases like XWord Info, which tracks every single NYT puzzle back to the Lollapuzzoola days, SCRAM appears hundreds of times.
But what if it’s not SCRAM? You might be looking at SHOO. This is the "polite" version of the clue. It’s what you say to a fly or a persistent pigeon. Then there’s GOON, which is a bit more archaic, or AWAY, which is often part of a larger phrase. If the clue has an exclamation point—"Beat it!"—the odds of it being a direct command like VAMOSE or SKIDDOO skyrocket. Skiddoo is a classic "old-timey" crossword staple. Nobody says it in real life anymore, except maybe someone wearing a fedora in a 1940s noir film, but in crosswords, it’s alive and well.
Sometimes the clue is trickier. It might be LAM. As in "on the lam." Or FLEET. If the clue is "Beat it to the finish line," you’re looking for RUN or DASH. You have to look at the surrounding letters. If you have a 'P' and an 'E', it's probably SKIP. If you have an 'L', maybe it's LEAVE.
When the Clue Isn't a Command
The real trouble starts when "Beat it" isn't a command at all. Crossword constructors love a good misdirection. They use the "hidden capital" trick or the "part of speech" swap.
Take the Michael Jackson song. If the clue is "Beat It singer," you're looking for MJ or JACKO (though that's rarer now). But if the clue is just "Beat It," and the answer is six letters, it might be HITSONG. Or maybe it’s ALBUM. This is where people get tripped up. They think verb, but the constructor thinks noun.
Then there’s the kitchen angle. You beat eggs. You beat cream. So the answer could be WHIP or STIR. Or even WHISK. I once saw a puzzle where the answer was DRUM. Think about it. You beat a drum. It’s so simple it’s infuriating. This is why you can't just look at the clue in isolation. You need the crosses. Always the crosses.
A Quick Cheat Sheet for Different Lengths
If you’re staring at a blank row, count the boxes. It’s the fastest way to narrow it down.
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- 3 Letters: LAM, GET (as in "get lost"), RUN.
- 4 Letters: SCRAM, SHOO, WHIP, DASH, FLEET, BLOW.
- 5 Letters: VAMOS, ERASE (to "beat" a mark), SCOOT.
- 6 Letters: VAMOSE, SKIDDOO, DEPART.
The Psychology of the Crossword Constructor
Constructors like Will Shortz or Joel Fagliano don't just pick words at random. They look for words with high "scrabbability" or common letters (ETAOIN SHRDLU). "Beat it" is a gift to them because it uses common letters and offers so much flexibility.
When you see a clue like this, you should immediately ask: Is this a verb, an exclamation, or a noun? If there’s a question mark at the end of the clue—"Beat it?"—that’s a huge red flag. The question mark is the constructor's way of saying, "I'm being a literal brat." It might mean FLAIL or THRASH. It might refer to someone escaping from a crime scene. It could even be PULSE, referring to a heart beat.
The "Beat it" clue is basically a test of your mental flexibility. If you're stuck on the "command" definition, you'll never find the "egg" definition. It's a bit like life. If you only look at things from one angle, you miss the obvious answer staring you in the face.
Real Examples from the Archives
Let's look at some specific instances. In a 2023 Sunday NYT puzzle, the clue "Beat it!" led to GETLOST. On a random Wednesday in the LA Times, it was SHOO. The Wall Street Journal, which tends to be a bit more "punny," once used it to lead to EGGWHISK.
You've also got to consider the era of the puzzle. Older puzzles from the 80s or 90s are much more likely to use "skiddoo" or "begone." Modern puzzles might use something like PEACE (as in "Peace out") or OUT. Language evolves, and crosswords evolve with it. If you’re solving an indie puzzle on a site like Grids These Days or American Values Club, the answers might be even more colloquial or slang-heavy.
Why "Scram" Wins Most of the Time
If you have to guess, guess SCRAM. It’s the workhorse of the crossword world. It has two consonants that are easy to cross (S and M) and two high-frequency vowels (A and maybe the C depending on the word). It’s the "vanilla" of "Beat it" answers. It’s safe. It’s reliable. It’s rarely wrong unless the grid is specifically pushing you toward a French-rooted word like VAMOSE.
How to Get Unstuck
So, what do you do when you're staring at those boxes and nothing fits? First, leave it. Seriously. Go get a coffee. Your brain works on these things in the background through a process called "incubation." Often, you'll come back and the word WHIP will just jump out at you because your subconscious finally stopped thinking about Michael Jackson.
Second, check the tense. Is it "Beat it" or "Beating it"? If it’s "Beating it," the answer has to end in -ING. SCRAMMING. WHIPPING. If the clue is "He beat it," the answer might be RAN or FLED. Tense agreement is the golden rule of crosswords. If the clue is a certain part of speech, the answer must be that same part of speech.
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Third, look for the "hidden" meaning. Could "it" be a physical object? If "it" is a rug, the answer is DUST. If "it" is a path, the answer is TREAD. Don't let the phrase "Beat it" act as a single unit; break it apart.
Common Misconceptions
People often think there’s only one "right" answer for a clue. There isn't. There’s only the right answer for that specific grid. This is why people who use crossword solvers online sometimes get frustrated. They see five different options and don't know which one to pick.
Another misconception is that the clue is always a command. As we've discussed, it's frequently a description of a physical action or a reference to pop culture. Don't get locked into one mindset.
Practical Steps for Your Next Puzzle
- Count the letters immediately. Don't even think about the meaning until you know if you're looking for three letters or seven.
- Check for a question mark. If it's there, think outside the box. Think eggs, drums, rugs, or hearts.
- Fill in the crosses first. Even getting one letter—like a 'W' at the start—can instantly tell you if the answer is WHIP or SCRAM.
- Consider the publication. The NYT is more traditional; the WSJ loves puns; indie puzzles love slang.
- Say it out loud. Sometimes hearing the words "Beat it" helps you realize it sounds like "Get out" or "Vamoose" in a way that just reading it doesn't.
Crosswords are a battle of wits between you and the constructor. "Beat it" is one of their favorite weapons because it's so versatile. But once you know the patterns—the "Scram/Shoo/Whip" trifecta—you’re much harder to fool. You start seeing the grid not as a series of clues, but as a series of logical possibilities.
Next time you see those seven letters in a clue, don't panic. Take a breath. Look at the letters you already have. If it's a four-letter word starting with 'S', you know what to do. If it’s a five-letter word ending in 'S', maybe rethink the "command" angle and start thinking about what you might do to a bowl of heavy cream. You've got this. The grid is just waiting for you to find the right rhythm.
Actionable Insight: Keep a mental (or physical) "common word" list. For "Beat it," always have SCRAM, SHOO, WHIP, and VAMOSE at the top of your head. When one doesn't fit, immediately pivot to the literal meaning of "beating" an object. This mental shift is the difference between a 30-minute solve and a 10-minute solve.