Crossword Genius

Over-the-top sorts of experiments need no spin (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

extreme

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

'need no spin' is the definition.
Although both the answer and definition are singular nouns, I can't understand how one could define the other.

'over-the-top sorts of experiments' is the wordplay.
I cannot really understand how this works, but
'over' could be 're' and 're' is present in the answer.
'the' could be 't' (the is pronounced as a 't' sound in some dialects) and 't' is located in the answer.
This explanation may well be incorrect...

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for extreme that I've seen before include "Far from centre" , "Farthest - to the highest degree" , "Going beyond moderation" , "not near the centre" , "over the top" .)

I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.
Want a hint initially instead of a full solution? Install my app