Crossword Genius

Not quite clean cut or appropriate (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

purloin

'appropriate' is the definition.
(appropriate can mean to steal or take)

'not quite clean cut' is the wordplay.
'not quite' means to remove the last letter.
'clean' becomes 'pure' (similar in meaning).
'cut' becomes 'loin' (cut of meat).
'pure' with its last letter taken away is 'pur'.
'pur'+'loin'='PURLOIN'

'or' is the link.

(Other definitions for purloin that I've seen before include "lift" , "'Nick, pilfer (7)'" , "Swipe" , "'Nick, filch (7)'" , "appropriate" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.
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.