Crossword Genius

Bony scoundrels going around claim to have nothing on you, I hear (10)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

cadaverous

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'bony' is the definition.
(synonyms)

'scoundrels going around claim to have nothing on you i hear' is the wordplay.
I cannot really see how this works, but
'around' could be 'o' (I've seen this in other clues) and 'o' is found within the answer.
'claim' could be 'aver' (I've seen this in another clue) and 'aver' is present in the answer.
'you' could be 'u' (commonly used in online communication) and 'u' is found within the answer.
'scoundrels' could be 'cads' (a cad is a dishonourable person) and 'cads' is found within the remaining letters.
This accounts for all the letters.
This may be the basis of the clue (or it may be nonsense).

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for cadaverous that I've seen before include "Resembling a corpse" , "Thin and bony like a corpse" , "Skeletal" , "Unhealthy-looking" , "Ghastly" .)

I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.
Want a hint initially instead of a full solution? Install my app