Crossword Genius

Kick out swimmer holding ten pence (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

expel

'kick out' is the definition.
(synonyms)

'swimmer holding ten pence' is the wordplay.
'swimmer' becomes 'eel' (eels swim).
'holding' means one lot of letters goes inside another.
'ten' becomes 'X' (Roman numeral).
'pence' becomes 'p'.
'x'+'p'='xp'
'eel' going around 'xp' is 'EXPEL'.

(Other definitions for expel that I've seen before include "Force to leave" , "Reject" , "Discharge in disgrace" , "Drive out, banish" , "Drive out - eject" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.
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.