Crossword Genius

Hard at The Centre not to take advantage of partner - the one who shares (9)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

housemate

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'one who shares' is the definition.
I know nothing about this answer so I can't tell whether this works.

'hard at the centre not to take advantage of partner' is the wordplay.
'hard' becomes 'h' (abbreviation used in pencil classifications).
'at the centre' says to take the centre.
'to take advantage of' becomes 'use' (I've seen this in another clue).
'partner' becomes 'mate' (synonyms).
The central letter of 'not' is 'o'.
'h'+'o'+'use'+'mate'='HOUSEMATE'

'the' acts as a link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for housemate that I've seen before include "One who shares a residence" , "Co-tenant" , "One sharing accommodation" , "person to live with" .)

I've seen this clue in The Irish 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.