Crossword Genius

Leaves the last of the team out (3)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

tea

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

'leaves the last' is the definition.
'tea' can be an answer for 'leaves' (as in tea leaves). I'm unsure of the 'the last' bit.

'team out' is the wordplay.
'out' means to remove the last letter.
'team' with its last letter taken off is 'TEA'.

'of the' acts as a link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for tea that I've seen before include "Cha" , "Strangely, ate this drink" , "Refresher course" , "Refreshment" , "Meal/drink" .)

I've seen this clue in The Globe and Mail.
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