Crossword Genius

It's smart of Charlie to put the pressure on (6)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

clever

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

'it's smart' is the definition.
(similar in meaning)

'charlie to put the pressure on' is the wordplay.
I cannot quite understand how this works, but
'charlie' could be 'c' (phonetic alphabet) and 'c' is located in the answer.
The remaining letters 'lever' is a valid word which might be clued in a way I don't see.
This explanation may well be incorrect...

'of' acts as a link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for clever that I've seen before include "Bright; smart" , "brilliant" , "& 18 Down Smart Alec" , "Deft, able, bright" , "Mentally or physically skilful" .)

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.