Crossword Genius

Dance sailor rejected after drink (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

rumba

'dance' is the definition.
(rumba is a type of dance)

'sailor rejected after drink' is the wordplay.
'sailor' becomes 'ab' (abbreviation for able seaman).
'rejected' is a reversal indicator.
'after' says to put letters next to each other.
'drink' becomes 'rum' (rum is a kind of drink).
'ab' reversed gives 'ba'.
'ba' after 'rum' is 'RUMBA'.

(Other definitions for rumba that I've seen before include "Strictly round" , "music one can dance to" , "Afro-Cuban or ballroom dance" , "Umbra (anag)" , "Burma (anag)" .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.
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.