Crossword Genius

A former PM's climbing out (6)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

asleep

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'out' is the definition.
(out can mean unconscious or asleep)

'a former pm's climbing' is the wordplay.
'a former' becomes 'as' (I can't explain this - if you can you should give a lot more credence to this answer).
'pm' becomes 'Peel' (a9th-century prime minister Robert Peel).
'climbing' shows that the letters should be reversed in order (in a down clue, letters climb up).
'peel' reversed gives 'leep'.
'as'+'leep'='ASLEEP'

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for asleep that I've seen before include "Having nodded off" , "Inattentive; numbed" , "Resting unconscious" , "Please be at rest (6)." , "out like a light?" .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.
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