Crossword Genius

Finish importing European energy, working in hardship (8)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

enslaved

'working in hardship' is the definition.

'finish importing european energy' is the wordplay.
'finish' becomes 'end' ('end' can be a synonym of 'finish'**).
'importing' is an insertion indicator.
'european' becomes 'slav' (I've seen this before).
'energy' becomes 'e' (physics symbol as in E=mcn).
'slav'+'e'='slave'
'end' enclosing 'slave' is 'ENSLAVED'.

(Other definitions for enslaved that I've seen before include "under duress?" , "Trapped" , "Made subject to domination" , "Subjugated" , "subject to bond" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.
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