Crossword Genius

Audibly wept when describing old tyres (4)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

bald

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'when describing old tyres' is the definition.
I can't tell whether this definition defines the answer.

'audibly wept' is the wordplay.
'audibly' indicates a 'sounds like' (homophone) clue.
'wept' becomes 'bawled' ('bawl' can be a synonym of 'weep').
'bawled' is a homophone of 'BALD'.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for bald that I've seen before include "Lacking hair on the scalp" , "Follicly challenged?" , "Unadorned" , "Plain; hairless" , "With no effort to conceal" .)

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