Crossword Genius

Imply port swallowed is of a lower standard (8)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

inferior

'of a lower standard' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)

'imply port swallowed' is the wordplay.
'imply' becomes 'infer' (I've seen this before).
'port' becomes 'rio' (Rio de Janeiro is a port).
'swallowed' indicates putting letters inside.
'infer' placed around 'rio' is 'INFERIOR'.

'is' acts as a link.

(Other definitions for inferior that I've seen before include "Of poor quality" , "Lower in rank or quality" , "Less important, valuable" , "Substandard, lower in quality" , "Lower in standard or rank" .)

I've seen this clue in The Globe and Mail.
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.