Given time, dip into squash (5)
![Ross](/clue/static/ross-mug.min.png)
I believe the answer is:
tread
'squash' is the definition.
(treading is a kind of squashing)
'given time dip' is the wordplay.
'given' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'time' becomes 't' (abbreviation).
'dip' becomes 'read' (I can't explain this - if you can you should believe this answer much more).
't'+'read' is 'TREAD'.
'into' is the link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for tread that I've seen before include "Moulded part of a tyre" , "between the car and the road" , "Surface of car tyre" , "Step (heavily)" , "Rated (anag)" .)