Persecutes fellows caught in legal wrongs (8)
I believe the answer is:
torments
'persecutes' is the definition.
Although both the answer and definition are verbs in their -s form, I don't understand how they can define each other.
'fellows caught in legal wrongs' is the wordplay.
'fellows' becomes 'men' (fellow can mean a man).
'caught in' is an insertion indicator.
'legal wrongs' becomes 'torts' (legal term).
'men' placed within 'torts' is 'TORMENTS'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for torments that I've seen before include "Sortment of abuses" , "Plagues" , "Treats cruelly" , "Distresses" , "Tortures or teases" .)