Cut in crude fashion by an editor (7)
I believe the answer is:
reduced
'cut' is the definition.
(similar in meaning)
'crude fashion by an editor' is the wordplay.
'fashion' indicates an anagram.
'by' is a charade indicator (letters next to each other).
'an editor' becomes 'ed'.
'crude' with letters rearranged gives 'reduc'.
'reduc'+'ed'='REDUCED'
'in' is the link.
(Other definitions for reduced that I've seen before include "Got rid of some bodily weight" , "Impoverished" , "looked smaller" , "Boiled down" , "Curtailed" .)