Crossword Genius

Forbidding expert to sneer (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

grimace

'sneer' is the definition.
(I know that sneer is a more specific form of the action smile)

'forbidding expert' is the wordplay.
'forbidding' becomes 'grim' (I've seen this before).
'expert' becomes 'ace' (ace can informally mean very good).
'grim'+'ace'='GRIMACE'

'to' is the link.

(Other definitions for grimace that I've seen before include "Smirk" , "Dour" , "Contortion of face expressing pain" , "Distortion of the face" , "Pull a face" .)

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.