Crossword Genius

Be initially slow in departure (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

exist

'be' is the definition.
('exist' can be a synonym of 'be')

'initially slow in departure' is the wordplay.
'initially' says to take the initial letters.
'in' indicates putting letters inside.
'departure' becomes 'exit' ('exit' can be a synonym of 'departure').
The first letter of 'slow' is 's'.
's' put within 'exit' is 'EXIST'.

(Other definitions for exist that I've seen before include "quick!" , "Get a life!" , "Scrape by" , "Have being or continue living" , "Have objective reality" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.
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.