Crossword Genius

A bishop taking crack? Pardon! (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

absolve

'pardon' is the definition.
(thesaurus)

'a bishop taking crack?' is the wordplay.
'bishop' becomes 'b' (abbreviation used in chess).
'taking' is a charade indicator (letters next to each other).
'crack?' becomes 'solve' (I've seen this before).
'a'+'b'+'solve'='ABSOLVE'

(Other definitions for absolve that I've seen before include "Cleanse" , "Grant remission of a sin" , "Set free from guilt" , "Exculpate" , "Declare (someone) guilt-free" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.
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.