Crossword Genius

Chap journalist finds dishevelled (6)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

matted

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

'dishevelled' is the definition.
Both the definition and answer are adjectives. Maybe there's an association between them I don't understand?

'chap journalist' is the wordplay.
I cannot quite see how this works, but
'chap' could be 'matt' and 'matt' is present in the answer.
'journalist' could be 'ed' (short for editor) and 'ed' is present in the answer.
No letters remain.
This may be the basis of the clue (or it may be nonsense).

'finds' acts as a link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for matted that I've seen before include "Tangled and thick, as hair may be" , "Tangled or dirty as hair may be" , "Of hair, tangled and uncombed" , "Like some wickets" , "Tangled into a mass" .)

I've seen this clue in The Mirror.
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.