Crossword Genius

Officer to slip and fall (8)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

collapse

'fall' is the definition.
(collapse can mean to fall down)

'officer to slip' is the wordplay.
'officer' becomes 'col' (short for colonel).
'to slip' becomes 'lapse' (lapsing is a kind of slipping).
'col'+'lapse'='COLLAPSE'

'and' is the link.

(Other definitions for collapse that I've seen before include "Fall down or lose strength suddenly" , "Abrupt failure of function" , "Fall or disintergrate" , "Go to ruin" , "Fall down unconscious" .)

I've seen this clue in The Sun.
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