Crossword Genius

Liberal dons scolded youngster (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

child

'youngster' is the definition.
(I know that youngster can be written as child)

'liberal dons scolded' is the wordplay.
'liberal' becomes 'l' (abbreviation).
'dons' indicates putting letters inside (don can mean to wear or be covered in).
'scolded' becomes 'chid' ('chide' can be a synonym of 'scold').
'l' put into 'chid' is 'CHILD'.

(Other definitions for child that I've seen before include "Offspring" , "Nipper" , "Toddler" , "Youngster" , "Little one" .)

I've seen this clue in The Guardian.
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.