Crossword Genius

Hate macho guards in charge (6)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

malice

'hate' is the definition.
(I know that malice is a type of malevolence)

'macho guards in charge' is the wordplay.
'macho' becomes 'male' (macho means aggressively masculine).
'guards' is an insertion indicator (inserted letters are guarded).
'in charge' becomes 'ic' (abbreviation for 'in charge').
'male' going around 'ic' is 'MALICE'.

(Other definitions for malice that I've seen before include "Bitterness" , "Hatred" , "Malevolence, spite" , "Spite, venom" , "'Ill-will, spite (6)'" .)

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.