Crossword Genius

Mean to finalise it after a drink (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

portend

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

'mean' is the definition.
(thesaurus)

'finalise it after a drink' is the wordplay.
I cannot quite see how this works, but
'finalise' could be 'end' (I've seen this in another clue) and 'end' is present in the answer.
'it' could be 't' (abbreviation. e.g. in 'tis) and 't' is found within the answer.
The remaining letters 'por' is a valid word which might be clued in a way I don't see.
This explanation may well be incorrect...

'to' is the link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for portend that I've seen before include "Omen" , "Presage, bode" , "Herald" , "forecast" , "Threaten" .)

I've seen this clue in the Evening Standard.
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.