Crossword Genius

Inept like medic, injecting second object (9)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

maladroit

'inept' is the definition.
(maladroit can mean inept or clumsy)

'like medic injecting second object' is the wordplay.
'like' becomes 'a la' ('a la' can mean 'in the way of' in French).
'medic' becomes 'dr' (abbreviation for doctor).
'injecting' indicates putting letters inside (inserted letters are injected).
'second' becomes 'mo' (both are short periods of time).
'object' becomes 'it' (pronoun for an inanimate object).
'ala'+'dr'='aladr'
'aladr' going into 'mo' is 'maladro'.
'maladro'+'it'='MALADROIT'

(Other definitions for maladroit that I've seen before include "Awkward - unskilful" , "Inefficient, clumsy" , "Clumsy or bungling, ham-fisted" , "Inept, clumsy" .)

I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.
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.