Crossword Genius

Cheat to provoke scorn (8)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

contempt

'scorn' is the definition.
(I know that scorn can be written as contempt)

'cheat to provoke' is the wordplay.
'cheat' becomes 'con' (con is a kind of cheat).
'to provoke' becomes 'tempt' (tempting is a kind of provoking).
'con'+'tempt'='CONTEMPT'

(Other definitions for contempt that I've seen before include "Disregard for the rules of a court of law" , "Disobedience to the rule of court of law" , "The feeling of despising someone" , "ridicule" , "Disobedience to the rules of a court of law" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times and The Sunday Times.
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.