Crossword Genius

Forbidden to provoke in speech (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

illicit

'forbidden' is the definition.
(I've seen this in another clue)

'provoke in speech' is the wordplay.
'provoke' becomes 'elicit' (synonyms).
'in speech' shows a homophone (sound like).
'elicit' is a homophone of 'ILLICIT'.

'to' is the link.

(Other definitions for illicit that I've seen before include "Without approval" , "Not allowed, unlawful" , "Illegal" , "Contrary to morality or convention" , "Not lawful" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.
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.