Crossword Genius

Break circuits beginning to explode (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

lapse

'break' is the definition.
(thesaurus)

'circuits beginning to explode' is the wordplay.
'circuits' becomes 'laps' ('lap' can be a synonym of 'circuit').
'beginning to' says to take the initial letters.
The first letter of 'explode' is 'e'.
'laps'+'e'='LAPSE'

(Other definitions for lapse that I've seen before include "Brief failure of judgement" , "Pleas (anag)" , "Run out" , "Loss (in concentration, say?)" , "Slip; sounds like circuits" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.
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