"Beats me!"

Latest answer — September 07, 2026

52 Across

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A person shrugging to indicate they do not know

Clue explained

NO CLUE means “I don’t know,” which is what someone saying “Beats me!” is expressing. The grid writes the two-word phrase without a space as NOCLUE.

Clue type:
Phrase or idiom

NYT Crossword

This clue's Monday, September 07, 2026 appearance

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Or reveal one clue at a time with the Hint and Answer buttons below.

Across

  1. 1Actress Longoria or Mendes
  2. 4Word after op or pop
  3. 7Jabbers on a plane?
  4. 13Hip-hop's ___ Wayne
  5. 14"If I ___ a Carpenter"
  6. 16First-year professional athlete
  7. 17Illegal
  8. 19Meal, formally
  9. 20Not working, as a phone
  10. 21Tool for winter fishing
  11. 23Affirmative
  12. 24To be, in Barcelona
  13. 26Made level
  14. 28Apple all-in-one computer
  15. 30Contribute something more
  16. 31Hoppy brews, for short
  17. 35Dependable, upstanding guy
  18. 37Key often near Caps Lock
  19. 38Bog down
  20. 39What a hen lays
  21. 40Robes tied with obis
  22. 43Bit of acne, informally
  23. 44How Lindbergh flew across the Atlantic in 1927
  24. 46___ and Driver (magazine)
  25. 47"Holy cannoli!"
  26. 49Fret
  27. 50Kipling novel or its young hero
  28. 51Singer Bareilles
  29. 52"Beats me!"
  30. 55Indian princes
  31. 58Rotor speed fig.
  32. 61Ordered (around)
  33. 63Carry
  34. 64Wizard's mixture
  35. 66Not now, but later
  36. 68Cut out
  37. 69List, as in a reference
  38. 70Yea's opposite
  39. 71Ukrainian seaport, in an older spelling
  40. 72"Let's ___!" ("Dinner's on!")
  41. 73Org. checking carry-on bags

Down

  1. 1Deftly avoid
  2. 2Plants with tendrils
  3. 3Electric with excitement
  4. 4Cry over a newborn
  5. 5Home loan overhaul, in brief
  6. 6Halt to hostilities
  7. 7Some gofers
  8. 8Handbag fashion label from Madrid
  9. 9Playful knock on the noggin
  10. 10Give the thumbs-up
  11. 11Sagacious
  12. 12Divisions in a tennis match
  13. 15Uplifting tunes? ... or a hint to the circled squares
  14. 18President after Washington
  15. 22Alternative to a convertible or station wagon
  16. 25Hat holder
  17. 27Barely visible, as light from a star
  18. 29Grammy-winning pianist with the Elektric Band
  19. 32Dive offering slices
  20. 33Puccini's "Nessun dorma," e.g.
  21. 34Meyers of late night
  22. 35Clutter
  23. 36Rare four-award achievement in entertainment, for short
  24. 41Slips in a slot at the post office
  25. 42Fly to new heights
  26. 45Dominate, in sports slang
  27. 48"I was angry with my foe: / I told it not, my ___ did grow": William Blake
  28. 53Passing notices, informally
  29. 54Counting-out rhyme opener
  30. 56Book made obsolescent by GPS
  31. 57"Buh-bye!"
  32. 58Attempt anew
  33. 59Said "guilty," say
  34. 60One of 26 in a marathon
  35. 62Contents of an Excel spreadsheet
  36. 65Kisses, symbolically
  37. 67Like some dog kisses

The answer to “"Beats me!"” in the New York Times crossword is NOCLUE — a 6-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on September 7, 2026, a Monday puzzle, at 52-Across. Other answers we've seen for this clue include IVENOIDEA, and NOIDEA. 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.

“"Beats me!"” answer

NOCLUE (6 letters) — most recent; also seen as IVENOIDEA, NOIDEA

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 NOCLUE.

Other answers for “"Beats me!"”

New York Times has used this clue with more than one solution. Besides NOCLUE, it has also been IVENOIDEA, and NOIDEA. Every appearance we've indexed is listed below with the date it ran.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “"Beats me!"”?

The answer is NOCLUE, a 6-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on September 7, 2026. Other answers for this clue include IVENOIDEA, and NOIDEA.

How many letters is the answer to “"Beats me!"”?

6 letters: NOCLUE. Earlier fills for this clue have also been IVENOIDEA (9), NOIDEA (6).

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on September 7, 2026 (a Monday puzzle), at 52-Across. Earlier appearances: January 9, 2026 → IVENOIDEA; July 23, 2025 → NOIDEA.

Can “"Beats me!"” have a different answer?

Yes. Besides NOCLUE, New York Times has also used IVENOIDEA, and NOIDEA for this clue. Every date and answer is listed above.

Where can I find the rest of this day's NYT Crossword answers?

The full grid for September 7, 2026 is on the NYT Crossword answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

New York Times Crossword is published by The New York Times; WordHint is an independent site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher.

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