Defeat, on splits in armistice (7)

I believe the answer is:

trounce

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

'defeat' is the definition.
(I know that trounce is a more specific form of defeat)

I don't understand the rest of the clue.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for trounce that I've seen before include "Beat roundly" , "Thrash" , "Defeat by large margin" , "Slaughter" , "Beat resoundingly" .)

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.