Crossword Genius

Put off Ted's return with hesitation (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

deter

'put off' is the definition.
(both can mean to discourage)

'ted's return with hesitation' is the wordplay.
'return' says the letters should be written in reverse.
'with' says to put letters next to each other.
'hesitation' becomes 'er' (sound made while hesitating - um, er).
'ted' back-to-front is 'det'.
'det'+'er'='DETER'

(Other definitions for deter that I've seen before include "Discourage (an activity)" , "Discourage, put off" , "Discourage or impede" , "Put (someone) off" , "Put off (from an action)" .)

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