I escaped, but only just! (4)

The answer to “I escaped, but only just! (4)” in the The Guardian Quick crossword is PHEW — a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Guardian Quick crossword on July 7, 2026, a Tuesday puzzle, at 3-Down, and it has also run on 1 earlier date with the same answer. Below you'll find why that fill fits, every other answer we've recorded for this clue, and links into the puzzle it came from.

“I escaped, but only just! (4)” answer

PHEW (4 letters)

Reveal the solution one letter at a time with the tiles above if you'd rather nudge yourself toward it than see the whole word at once. Just want it outright? The answer is PHEW.

Why the answer is PHEW

That sigh of relief when you narrowly avoid trouble! 😅

What does PHEW mean?

Reading the plain dictionary sense of PHEW is often the fastest way to see why it answers this clue.

When else has “I escaped, but only just! (4)” appeared?

The Guardian Quick reuses clues across dates, sometimes with a different answer depending on the grid. Here's where this exact clue has shown up, and what the answer was each time — handy when you're checking whether today's fill is the only one.

• July 7, 2026 (most recent) → PHEW
• July 6, 2026 → PHEW

Frequently asked questions