Crossword Genius

Could be grave in a manner of speaking (6)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

accent

I believe this is a triple definition!

'could be grave' is the first definition.
(I've seen this before)

'in' is a link.

'a manner' is the second definition.
(I have seen 'manner of speaking' mean 'accent' so perhaps 'manner' could also mean 'accent')

'of' is a link.

'speaking' is the third definition.
(thesaurus)

(Other definitions for accent that I've seen before include "Stress - regional dialect" , "Mark over a vowel, perhaps" , "Stress, emphasis" , "Speech pattern" , "Emphasis on syllable or local pronunciation" .)

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