Crossword Genius

Help in rewrite of brief, then finish (8)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

befriend

'help' is the definition.
(a friend might help another friend)

'rewrite of brief then finish' is the wordplay.
'rewrite of' indicates an anagram (letters rewritten in a new order).
'then' is a charade indicator (letters next to each other).
'finish' becomes 'end' (synonyms).
'brief' anagrammed gives 'befri'.
'befri'+'end'='BEFRIEND'

'in' acts as a link.

(Other definitions for befriend that I've seen before include "Look after" , "Bond with" , "Provide support as a chum" , "Become mates with" , "care for?" .)

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.