Crossword Genius

Realise rubbish left out is not so problematic (6)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

easier

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'realise rubbish left out is not' is the definition.
I can't judge whether this definition defines the answer.

'so problematic' is the wordplay.
I cannot really see how this works, but
'so' could be 'as' (e.g. phrases like 'not as tall' and 'not so tall') and 'as' is found within the answer.
This may be the basis of the clue (or it may be nonsense).

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for easier that I've seen before include "Posing less difficulty" , "More facile" , "more like a piece of cake" , "Simpler" , "More comfortable or less difficult" .)

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.