Crossword Genius

It is given but not away (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

present

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

'it is given' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)

'not away' is the wordplay.
I cannot really see how this works, but
'not' could be 'nt' (synonyms) and 'nt' is found within the answer.
The remaining letters 'prese' is a valid word which might be clued in a way I don't understand.
This explanation may well be incorrect...

'but' acts as a link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for present that I've seen before include "Current" , "Introduce formally" , "in a particular place" , "Hand over < donation" , "offering" .)

I've seen this clue in The Irish News.
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.