Crossword Genius

Basic, neat, merely used (10)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

elementary

'basic' is the definition.
(similar in meaning)

'neat merely used' is the wordplay.
'used' indicates an anagram.
'neat'+'merely'='neatmerely'
'neatmerely' is an anagram of 'ELEMENTARY'.

(Other definitions for elementary that I've seen before include "most things, to Holmes" , "Rudimentary; introductory" , "description of subatomic particle" , "Principal" , "Easy" .)

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