Crossword Genius

Cause betrayal -- lose head (6)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

reason

'cause' is the definition.
(I know that cause can be written as reason)

'betrayal lose head' is the wordplay.
'betrayal' becomes 'treason' (synonyms).
'lose head' means to remove the first letter (lose (remove) the head (start) of the word).
'treason' with its initial letter removed is 'REASON'.

(Other definitions for reason that I've seen before include "Motive; argue" , "Justification (for action)" , "Cause; think logically" , "brain operations" , "Explanation or motive" .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.
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.