Crossword Genius

Forgive Charlie breaking old custom (6)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

excuse

'forgive' is the definition.
(excusing is a kind of forgiving)

'charlie breaking old custom' is the wordplay.
'charlie' becomes 'c' (phonetic alphabet: alpha, bravo, charlie etc.).
'breaking' indicates putting letters inside.
'old' becomes 'ex'.
'custom' becomes 'use' (use is a kind of custom).
'ex'+'use'='exuse'
'c' put inside 'exuse' is 'EXCUSE'.

(Other definitions for excuse that I've seen before include "Upstanding community members" , "Pardon or justify" , "A self-justification" , "Absolve" , "Seek to justify (a fault)" .)

I've seen this clue in The Sun and The Telegraph.
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.