Crossword Genius

Put up before court after vacation (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

erect

'put up' is the definition.
(I know that put up can be written as erect)

'before court after vacation' is the wordplay.
'before' becomes 'ere' (poetic term for 'before').
'after vacation' suggests removing the centre (the inside letters must vacate).
'court' with its centre removed is 'ct'.
'ere'+'ct'='ERECT'

(Other definitions for erect that I've seen before include "Upright; put up" , "Build, put up" , "Upright or vertical" , "Rigidly upright" , "Upstanding" .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.
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.