Crossword Genius

Secret coteries broken up (8)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

esoteric

'secret' is the definition.
(similar in meaning)

'coteries broken up' is the wordplay.
'broken up' indicates anagramming the letters.
'coteries' is an anagram of 'ESOTERIC'.

(Other definitions for esoteric that I've seen before include "'Abstruse, arcane (8)'" , "unintelligible to outsiders" , "Hard to understand" , "Private, confined to a select group" , "Intelligible only with special knowledge" .)

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