Crossword Genius

Ditch everybody in times showing great cruelty (8)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

brutally

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'ditch everybody in times showing great cruelty' is the definition.
I can't tell whether this definition defines the answer.

'ditch everybody in times' is the wordplay.
'ditch' becomes 'rut' (rut is a kind of ditch).
'everybody' becomes 'all' (all people).
'in' is an insertion indicator.
'times' becomes 'by' (both can mean 'multiplied by').
'rut'+'all'='rutall'
'rutall' put into 'by' is 'BRUTALLY'.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for brutally that I've seen before include "in savage style" , "without mercy" , "without any feeling" , "Cruelly" , "Savagely, violently" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.
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