Crossword Genius

Being alert I left in time (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

agile

'being alert' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)

'i left in time' is the wordplay.
'left' becomes 'l' (common abbreviation).
'in' is an insertion indicator.
'time' becomes 'age' (an age is a period of time).
'i'+'l'='il'
'il' inserted into 'age' is 'AGILE'.

(Other definitions for agile that I've seen before include "Nimble, active" , "Mentally acute" , "Quick to move" , "athletic" , "Dexterous" .)

I've seen this clue in The Sun.
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.