Crossword Genius

Liked better umpire after last chap made a mistake (9)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

preferred

'liked better' is the definition.
('prefer' can be a synonym of 'like better')

'umpire after last chap made a mistake' is the wordplay.
'umpire' becomes 'ref' (I've seen this before).
'after' says to put letters next to each other.
'last' suggests the final letters.
'made a mistake' becomes 'erred' ('err' can be a synonym of 'make a mistake').
The final letter of 'chap' is 'p'.
'ref' put after 'p' is 'pref'.
'pref'+'erred'='PREFERRED'

(Other definitions for preferred that I've seen before include "Liked better" , "choice" , "Was partial to" , "Chose before others" , "singled out" .)

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.