Crossword Genius

Finish cooking mice for native (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

endemic

'for native' is the definition.
(similar in meaning)

'finish cooking mice' is the wordplay.
'finish' becomes 'end' (synonyms).
'cooking' is an anagram indicator (cook can mean to falsify or distort).
'mice' is an anagram of 'emic'.
'end'+'emic'='ENDEMIC'

(Other definitions for endemic that I've seen before include "(Of disease) regularly found in population" , "(Of a disease) regularly found in a certain area" , "Local (of disease)" , "Confined to (disease)" , "locally confined" .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.
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