Crossword Genius

People in general work like snobs to fill position (8)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

populace

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

'people in general' is the definition.
(thesaurus)

'work like snobs to fill position' is the wordplay.
'work' becomes 'op' (common abbreviation for 'opus').
'like snobs' becomes 'u' (I am not sure about this - if you are sure you should give a lot more credence to this answer).
'to fill' is an insertion indicator.
'position' becomes 'place' (synonyms).
'op'+'u'='opu'
'opu' inserted within 'place' is 'POPULACE'.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for populace that I've seen before include "People generally" , "Residents" , "The plebs" , "Inhabitants" , "Citizens" .)

I've seen this clue in The Guardian.
Want a hint initially instead of a full solution? Install my app