Crossword Genius

Provided lift as escort's inside washout (6)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

fiasco

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'washout' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)

'provided lift as escort's inside' is the wordplay.
'provided lift' becomes 'fi' (I am not sure about this - if you are sure you should give a lot more credence to this answer).
'inside' indicates the central letters.
The middle of 'escort' is 'co'.
'fi'+'as'+'co'='FIASCO'

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for fiasco that I've seen before include "Humiliating disaster" , "Ridiculous and total failure" , "Debacle, a right mess" , "A hopeless mess or ludicrous failure" , "Sudden total disaster" .)

I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.
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