Crossword Genius

Facing a group of offensive ne'er-do-wells (6)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

veneer

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

'facing' is the definition.
(I know that facing can be written as veneer)

'a group of offensive ne'er-do-wells' is the wordplay.
'VENEER' is hidden in amongst the letters.
However, I'm not sure how this is indicated.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for veneer that I've seen before include "A thin layer on the surface, often wood" , "Thin wooden surface" , "'e never (anag.)" , "Thin surfacing of wood" , "Superficial polish" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.
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.