Crossword Genius

Join King getting on donkey (4)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

knit

'join' is the definition.
(knitting is a kind of joining)

'king getting on donkey' is the wordplay.
'king' becomes 'k'.
'getting on' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'donkey' becomes 'nit' (both can mean a stupid person).
'k'+'nit'='KNIT'

(Other definitions for knit that I've seen before include "Make woollen objects" , "Unite closely" , "Cause to unite" , "Fuse" , "Make a sweater, maybe" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.
Want a hint initially instead of a full solution? Install my app