Scare the bejesus out of

Latest answer — April 09, 2026

48 Across

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NYT Crossword

This clue's Thursday, April 09, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Start issuing stock, in Wall Street lingo
  2. 6Live the single man's life, slangily
  3. 12Part of some box sets
  4. 15Pungent
  5. 16Stick (to)
  6. 17Joey of kid-lit
  7. 18One with thick skin, notably
  8. 19Customizable Asian-fusion dish
  9. 21Charlatan
  10. 22Ex-Yankee with appearances on "Shark Tank," familiarly
  11. 23"Stay" singer Lisa
  12. 24In unison
  13. 26To an extreme degree
  14. 29[Oh no!]
  15. 32Stone that's often carved
  16. 34"And you ___ ...?"
  17. 35"No, thanks"
  18. 37Tiny pieces of technology
  19. 42Amundsen who went to the South Pole 15 years before he flew over the North Pole
  20. 43Sound of a stone landing in a pool
  21. 45Tone used to create an antique vibe
  22. 46So darling
  23. 48Scare the bejesus out of
  24. 50Lead-in to Pen
  25. 51Speck in the sea
  26. 53Zebras in the field?
  27. 54Article of summer wear
  28. 58On which to watch the Beeb
  29. 60Retail giant with a three-syllable name in four letters
  30. 61Bring home
  31. 63In base eight
  32. 67Oil bigwig?
  33. 70Cease-fire
  34. 71Bit of ticket info
  35. 72Community traversed by the Pacific Coast Highway
  36. 73Shadow
  37. 74___-Man
  38. 75Lines 9 through 14 of a classic sonnet
  39. 76Aerodynamic, maybe

Down

  1. 1John Irving's "The World According to ___"
  2. 2Número that's half of dieciséis
  3. 3Anatomical ring
  4. 4Dessert with rings on top, literally
  5. 5Features of leftovers, at times
  6. 6Dessert in a boat, literally
  7. 7Found darling
  8. 8Jimmy known for shoes
  9. 9"___ Gabler" (Ibsen play)
  10. 10Opposite of virtually, to texters
  11. 11Ball bearer
  12. 12[That looks so delicious!]
  13. 13"Wheel of Fortune" purchase
  14. 14Big name in surround sound
  15. 20Dessert with a streusel-like topping, literally
  16. 25Drinks with or without pulp, for short
  17. 27Peaked
  18. 28Cold-weather coat
  19. 29Follower of "Gossip" or "Gone"
  20. 30Potatoes, in some Asian cuisines
  21. 31Pole, e.g.
  22. 33Music producer Brian
  23. 36"Intelligence is the ability to ___ to change": Stephen Hawking
  24. 38Triangular dessert, literally
  25. 39Early Ron Howard TV role
  26. 40Small squabble
  27. 41Comments
  28. 44Aromatic bit of attire
  29. 47Some text beneath a headshot, in brief
  30. 49Fish that may return to the ocean to spawn
  31. 52Flashing light
  32. 54Accessory on "Downton Abbey" or "Bridgerton"
  33. 55So-called "Rubber City," home of Goodyear
  34. 56Cereal box abbr.
  35. 57Sounds of laughter
  36. 59Pose for which you must plant your body on the mat?
  37. 62Working hard
  38. 64Lipstick unit
  39. 65It's a lot!
  40. 66Damage caused by a mole, maybe
  41. 68Syllables of hesitation
  42. 69"Norma ___"

The answer to “Scare the bejesus out of” in the New York Times crossword is PETRIFY — a 7-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on April 9, 2026, a Thursday puzzle, at 48-Across. 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.

“Scare the bejesus out of” answer

PETRIFY (7 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 PETRIFY.

Why the answer is PETRIFY

PETRIFY is the 7-letter solution that fits "Scare the bejesus out of" in the NYT Crossword crossword on April 9, 2026 (48-Across). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.

What does PETRIFY mean?

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

(verb)

  • make (someone) so frightened that they are unable to move
  • change (organic matter) into a stony substance by encrusting or replacing it with a calcareous, siliceous, or other mineral deposit

When else has “Scare the bejesus out of” appeared?

New York Times 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.

April 9, 2026 (most recent) → PETRIFY. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Scare the bejesus out of”?

The answer is PETRIFY, a 7-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on April 9, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Scare the bejesus out of”?

7 letters: PETRIFY.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on April 9, 2026 (a Thursday puzzle), at 48-Across.

Can “Scare the bejesus out of” have a different answer?

Yes — New York Times sometimes reuses a clue with a different solution to fit the grid. The answers we've recorded for each date it appeared are listed above when available.

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

The full grid for April 9, 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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