Crossword Genius

Approaching the north-east, a band (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

nearing

'approaching' is the definition.
('near' can be a synonym of 'approach')

'the north-east a band' is the wordplay.
'the north east' becomes 'ne'.
'band' becomes 'ring' (synonyms).
'ne'+'a'+'ring'='NEARING'

(Other definitions for nearing that I've seen before include "Moving towards" , "Getting close to" , "Approaching" , "Drawing closer to" .)

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