Exaggerated story of assault (4-2)

I believe the answer is:

beat-up

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

'assault' is the definition.
(thesaurus)

I don't understand how the rest of the clue works.

(Another definition for beat-up that I've seen is " Dilapidated".)

I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.

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.