Crossword Genius

Nearly explode finding mistake (4)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

goof

'mistake' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)

'nearly explode' is the wordplay.
'nearly' means to remove the last letter.
'explode' becomes 'go off' (going off is a kind of exploding).
'gooff' with its final letter taken away is 'GOOF'.

'finding' is the link.

(Other definitions for goof that I've seen before include "boob" , "(Make a) silly mistake" , "foolish error" , "Blunder, mistake (slang)" , "In slang, bungle or blunder" .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.
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.