Crossword Genius

Art patron beset by defeats in final trials (4,5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

beta tests

'final trials' is the definition.
(tests happening later than alpha tests)

'art patron beset by defeats' is the wordplay.
'art patron' becomes 'tate' (I've seen this before).
'beset by' means one lot of letters goes inside another ('beset' could historically mean 'cover').
'defeats' becomes 'bests' (besting is a kind of defeating).
'tate' inserted into 'bests' is 'BETA TESTS'.

'in' is the link.

I've seen this clue in The Guardian.
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.