Crossword Genius

Almost finished with academic (3)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

don

'academic' is the definition.
(type of academic - especially at Oxbridge)

'almost finished' is the wordplay.
'almost' means to remove the last letter (most of the word but not all of it).
'finished' becomes 'done' (both can mean completed).
'done' with its last letter taken away is 'DON'.

'with' acts as a link.

(Other definitions for don that I've seen before include "Mafia boss" , "Put on for the Mafia chief and Spanish aristocrat" , "Professor" , "Put on clothes like noss" , "A Spanish grandee like Quixote" .)

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