Crossword Genius

Cruel remark makes fox and rat swap tails (5,4)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

cheap shot

'cruel remark' is the definition.

I cannot understand how the rest of the clue works.

(Other definitions for cheap shot that I've seen before include "Barbed comment exploiting known weakness of target" , "Unkind act" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.
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.