Crossword Genius

Acerbic article on a police department (4)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

acid

'acerbic' is the definition.
('acid' can be a synonym of 'acerbic')

'article on a police department' is the wordplay.
'article' becomes 'a' (indefinite article).
'on' is a charade indicator (letters next to each other).
'a police department' becomes 'cid' (I've seen this in other clues).
'a'+'cid'='ACID'

(Other definitions for acid that I've seen before include "Sour, sharp-tasting" , "Tart, sour" , "Tart - keen - sort of house party" , "Sour - type of rain or drop" , "Caustic liquid of many kinds" .)

I've seen this clue in the Evening Standard.
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.