Crossword Genius

Nile net loosened: that's merciful (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

lenient

'merciful' is the definition.
(synonyms)

'nile net loosened' is the wordplay.
'loosened' is an anagram indicator.
'nile'+'net'='nilenet'
'nilenet' anagrammed gives 'LENIENT'.

'that's' is the link.

(Other definitions for lenient that I've seen before include "Mild and tolerant" , "Not severe, merciful" , "Inclined to let people off lightly" , "Tolerant, merciful" , "Clement" .)

I've seen this clue in The Sun.
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.