Crossword Genius

Pronounced 'basic', as ship will be before sailing (6)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

crewed

'as ship will be before sailing' is the definition.

'pronounced basic' is the wordplay.
'pronounced' shows a homophone (sound like).
'basic' becomes 'crude'.
'crude' is a homophone of 'CREWED'.

(Other definitions for crewed that I've seen before include "Had workers" , "Worked on ship; sounds like rough" .)

I've seen this clue in The Guardian.
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.