Crossword Genius

Dance around when beaten (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

caned

'beaten' is the definition.
(caning is a kind of beating)

'dance around' is the wordplay.
'around' is an anagram indicator.
'dance' is an anagram of 'CANED'.

'when' acts as a link.

(Other definitions for caned that I've seen before include "Thoroughly defeated" , "beat" , "punished" , "given stick" .)

I've seen this clue in The Globe and Mail.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.