Crossword Genius

At home, key outside ... it's dark (4)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

inky

'dark' is the definition.
(I've seen this in another clue)

'at home key outside' is the wordplay.
'at home' becomes 'in' ('I'm in' can mean 'I'm at home').
'outside' means to remove the middle letters.
'key' with its centre taken out is 'ky'.
'in'+'ky'='INKY'

'it's' acts as a link.

(Other definitions for inky that I've seen before include "Like writing fluid" , "Completely dark" , "Dark; stained" , "Jet" , "Pitch-black" .)

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