Crossword Genius

Lean hero in debt sadly thus? (2,3,9)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

on the breadline

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'thus?' is the definition.
I don't know anything about this answer so I cannot tell whether this works.

'lean hero in debt sadly' is the wordplay.
'sadly' is an anagram indicator.
'lean'+'hero'+'in'+'debt'='leanheroindebt'
'leanheroindebt' with letters rearranged gives 'ON THE BREADLINE'.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for on the breadline that I've seen before include "with barely enough to live on" , "impoverished" , "Poor" , "at work baking mass-produced loaves" , "Phoning to secure money" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times and The Sunday Times.
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