Difficult coming together accepting rout, oddly (9)
I believe the answer is:
gruelling
'difficult' is the definition.
Both the definition and answer are adjectives. Perhaps they are linked in a way I don't understand?
'coming together accepting rout oddly' is the wordplay.
'coming together' becomes 'gelling'.
'accepting' means one lot of letters goes inside another (inserted letters are accepted).
'oddly' indicates alternate letters (letters in the odd-numbered positions are used).
The alternating letters of 'rout' are 'ru'.
'gelling' enclosing 'ru' is 'GRUELLING'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for gruelling that I've seen before include "Severe" , "Demanding" , "Arduous, backbreaking" , "Strenuous" .)