Crossword Genius

About lair at church showing rhythm? (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

cadence

'rhythm?' is the definition.
(cadence is a kind of rhythm)

'about lair at church' is the wordplay.
'about' becomes 'ca' (abbreviation for 'circa').
'lair' becomes 'den' (synonyms).
'at' is a charade indicator (letters next to each other).
'church' becomes 'CE' (abbreviation for Church of England).
'ca'+'den'+'ce'='CADENCE'

'showing' is the link.

(Other definitions for cadence that I've seen before include "Vocal modulation or inflection" , "Rhythm or beat" , "Modulation of the voice" , "Close of a musical phrase" , "Final musical sequence" .)

I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.
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