Crossword Genius

Religious ascetic is a sham, as some say (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

fakir

'religious ascetic' is the definition.
(a fakir is a Muslim ascetic)

'sham as some say' is the wordplay.
'sham' becomes 'faker' (synonyms).
'as some say' indicates a 'sounds like' (homophone) clue.
'faker' sounds like 'FAKIR'.

'is a' acts as a link.

(Other definitions for fakir that I've seen before include "Religious mendicant in India" , "Muslim or Hindu mendicant holy man" , "Ascetic type" , "Muslim mendicant monk and holy man" , "Indian religious ascetic" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.
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.