Crossword Genius

Draw foes out — it should stop a beating (4,4)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

safe word

'it should stop a beating' is the definition.
(someone might use a safe word if they were in pain)

'draw foes out' is the wordplay.
'out' indicates an anagram (out can mean wrong or inaccurate).
'draw'+'foes'='drawfoes'
'drawfoes' is an anagram of 'SAFE WORD'.

I've seen this clue in The Guardian.
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.