Crossword Genius

Popped the question after work but not accepted (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

opposed

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'not accepted' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both to do with communicating as well as being past participle verbs.
Perhaps there's an association between them I don't understand?

'popped the question after work' is the wordplay.
'popped the question' becomes 'posed' (I can't justify this - if you can you should give a lot more credence to this answer).
'after' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'work' becomes 'op' (abbreviation for opus).
'posed' after 'op' is 'OPPOSED'.

'but' is the link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for opposed that I've seen before include "Adverse, antipathetic" , "Contested" , "Anti" , "Stood against" , "Withstood" .)

I've seen this clue in The Guardian and The Globe and Mail.
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