Cunning about what, oddly, could be "across” clue (7)

I believe the answer is:

athwart

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'could be across clue' is the definition.
I can't tell whether this defines the answer.

'cunning about what oddly' is the wordplay.
'cunning' becomes 'art' (both can mean trickery).
'about' is an insertion indicator.
'oddly' indicates an anagram (letters in an odd order).
'what' is an anagram of 'thwa'.
'art' going around 'thwa' is 'ATHWART'.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for athwart that I've seen before include "What rat is placed across?" , "Crosswise" , "Crossing" , "Transverse; at an oblique angle" , "wrongly" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.

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