Crossword Genius

Composes ceremonies by ear (6)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

writes

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

'composes' is the definition.
('write' can be a synonym of 'compose')

'ceremonies by ear' is the wordplay.
'ceremonies' becomes 'rites' (rite is a kind of ceremony).
'by' is a charade indicator (letters next to each other).
'ear' becomes 'w' (I can't justify this - if you can you should believe this answer much more).
'rites' after 'w' is 'WRITES'.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for writes that I've seen before include "Puts words on paper" , "Creates (a book)" , "Communicates by letter" , "Pens" , "Drops a line" .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.
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.