Crossword Genius

Country frequently gaining courage at present (5-2-3-3)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

state-of-the-art

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

'present' is the definition.
Both the definition and answer are adjectives. Maybe you can see an association between them that I don't see?

'country frequently gaining courage' is the wordplay.
'country' becomes 'state' (synonyms).
'frequently' becomes 'oft' (oft can mean frequently, eg oft-quoted).
'gaining' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'courage' becomes 'heart' (heart is a kind of courage).
'state'+'oft'+'heart'='STATE-OF-THE-ART'

'at' is the link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for state-of-the-art that I've seen before include "Produced by the latest technology" , "Incorporating the latest technologies" , "Bang up-to-date" , "Technologically up to date" , "Highest level of development at the present time" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.
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.