Crossword Genius

Delay by putting the date in wrongly (6)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

detain

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

'delay by' is the definition.
'detain' can be an answer for 'delay' (synonyms). I'm not sure about the 'by' bit.

'the date in wrongly' is the wordplay.
'wrongly' is an anagram indicator.
'date'+'in'='datein'
'datein' with letters rearranged gives 'DETAIN'.

'putting' is the link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for detain that I've seen before include "Hold (someone) back" , "Hold in detention" , "Hold back - arrest" , "Delay or take into custody" , "Keep in custody; hold back" .)

I've seen this clue in The Irish News and The Globe and Mail.
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.