Crossword Genius

Complained a busy worker had taken meals (6)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

beefed

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

'complained' is the definition.
(beefing is a kind of complaining)

'a busy worker had taken meals' is the wordplay.
'a busy worker' becomes 'bee' (I've seen this in another clue).
'had' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'taken meals' becomes 'fed' (I am not sure about this - if you are sure you should give a lot more credence to this answer).
'bee'+'fed'='BEEFED'

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for beefed that I've seen before include "Grumbled in meaty way" , "complained" .)

I've seen this clue in The Globe and Mail.
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.