Comes back about to swear, stopping short (6)
I believe the answer is:
recurs
'comes back' is the definition.
(recurring is a kind of coming back)
'about to swear stopping short' is the wordplay.
'about' becomes 're' (regarding).
'to swear' becomes 'curse' ('curse' can be a synonym of 'swear').
'stopping short' means to remove the last letter.
'curse' with its last letter taken off is 'curs'.
're'+'curs'='RECURS'
(Another definition for recurs that I've seen is " Happens again and perhaps again".)
I've seen this clue in The Times.
Want a hint initially instead of a full solution?
Install my app