Crossword Genius

It’s clear father came back by himself (8)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

apparent

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

'it's clear' is the definition.
('apparent' can be a synonym of 'clear')

'father came back by himself' is the wordplay.
'father' becomes 'pa' (pa is a kind of father).
'came back' shows that the letters should be reversed in order.
'by himself' becomes 'parent' (I can't justify this - if you can you should believe this answer much more).
'pa' in reverse letter order is 'ap'.
'ap'+'parent'='APPARENT'

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for apparent that I've seen before include "That may be seen" , "Seeming real or true" , "Visible - plain - presumable" , "Writ large" , "Obvious; seemingly true" .)

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.