Crossword Genius

How one may be aware of a short route to the city (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

acutely

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

'how one may be aware' is the definition.
I can't judge whether this definition defines the answer.

'a short route to the city' is the wordplay.
'short route' becomes 'cut' (I can't explain this - if you can you should believe this answer much more).
'to the city' becomes 'ely' (I've seen this before).
'a'+'cut'+'ely'='ACUTELY'

'of' is the link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for acutely that I've seen before include "Sharply" , "Critically" , "Extremely" , "Severely, keenly" , "with severity" .)

I've seen this clue in the Evening Standard.
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.