Crossword Genius

Dreadful rule referring to riotous soldiers (5,2,6)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

reign of terror

'dreadful rule' is the definition.
(I know this)

'referring to riotous soldiers' is the wordplay.
'riotous' indicates an anagram.
'soldiers' becomes 'OR' (Other Ranks).
'referring'+'to'='referringto'
'referringto' with letters rearranged gives 'reignofterr'.
'reignofterr'+'or'='REIGN OF TERROR'

(Other definitions for reign of terror that I've seen before include "awful time in France" , "French Revolutionary experience" , "Bloody period of French Revolution" , "Period of Jacobin rule in France" , "period of brutal oppression" .)

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.