Crossword Genius

Overhear a cause of sagging roof? (9)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

eavesdrop

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

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

'a cause of sagging roof?' is the wordplay.
I cannot really understand how this works, but
'a' is within the answer.
'cause' could be 'eve' (Eve is an example) and 'eve' is found within the remaining letters.
'of' could be 'o' and 'o' is found within the answer.
This may be the basis of the clue (or it may be nonsense).

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for eavesdrop that I've seen before include "Listen to bug" , "Deprave so to listen secretly" , "listen privately" , "Listen carefully" , "spy" .)

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.