Crossword Genius

Caught, warmed up and sold down the river (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

cheated

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

'sold down the river' is the definition.
I can't judge whether this defines the answer.

'caught warmed up' is the wordplay.
'caught' becomes 'c' (cricket abbreviation).
'warmed up' becomes 'heated' (I've seen this before).
'c'+'heated'='CHEATED'

'and' acts as a link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for cheated that I've seen before include "Defeated through deceit" , "taken for a ride" , "stung" , "Behaved dishonestly" .)

I've seen this clue in the Irish Times and the Irish Times (Crosaire).
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.