Crossword Genius

Perish, taking a route south of col (4,4)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

pass away

'perish' is the definition.
('pass away' can be a synonym of 'perish')

'a route south of col' is the wordplay.
'route' becomes 'way' (way is a kind of route).
'south of' is a charade indicator (letters next to each other).
'col' becomes 'pass' (I've seen this before).
'a'+'way'='away'
'away' after 'pass' is 'PASS AWAY'.

'taking' acts as a link.

(Other definitions for pass away that I've seen before include "disappear" , "Perish" , "Die" .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.
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.