Crossword Genius

Leave a note to provoke (4)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

goad

'to provoke' is the definition.
(goading is a kind of provoking)

'leave a note' is the wordplay.
'leave' becomes 'go' (to go is to depart or leave).
'note' becomes 'd' (musical note).
'go'+'a'+'d'='GOAD'

(Other definitions for goad that I've seen before include "that provides motivation" , "Provoke, spur" , "Cattle prod" , "Spur or stimulate" , "Spur, urge on" .)

I've seen this clue in The Mirror.
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.