Crossword Genius

Clubs not taking part in the end get beaten (4)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

lose

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

'get beaten' is the definition.
(I've seen this in another clue)

'clubs not taking part in the end' is the wordplay.
I cannot quite see how this works, but
'not' could be 'o' (I've seen this in other clues) and 'o' is located in the answer.
The remaining letters 'lse' is a valid word which might be clued in a way I don't see.
This explanation may well be incorrect...

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for lose that I've seen before include "go down" , "Misplace" , "Fail to keep" , "Fail to win" , "Mislay or be defeated" .)

I've seen this clue in The Guardian.
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.