Crossword Genius

Representative I came across in bed, retired (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

totemic

'representative' is the definition.
(totemic can mean symbolic)

'i came across in bed retired' is the wordplay.
'came across' becomes 'met' ('meet' can be a synonym of 'come across').
'in' is an insertion indicator.
'bed' becomes 'cot' (cot is a kind of bed).
'retired' says the letters should be written in reverse.
'i'+'met'='imet'
'imet' put into 'cot' is 'cimetot'.
'cimetot' in reverse letter order is 'TOTEMIC'.

(Other definitions for totemic that I've seen before include "Having emblematic and spiritual significance" , "Emblematic, symbolic" , "(Of an object) having spiritual significance" , "Like something significant" , "Having significance as an emblem" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.
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.