Crossword Genius

Fixed second drink and stopped working (8)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

steadied

'fixed' is the definition.

'second drink and stopped working' is the wordplay.
'second' becomes 's' (common abbreviation).
'drink' becomes 'tea' (tea is a kind of drink).
'and' says to put letters next to each other.
'stopped working' becomes 'died'.
's'+'tea'+'died'='STEADIED'

(Other definitions for steadied that I've seen before include "Supported, controlled" , "made stable" , "calmed down" , "Made firm and balanced" , "Braced" .)

I've seen this clue in The Guardian.
Want a hint initially instead of a full solution? Install my app