Crossword Genius

Showing signs of fight? (6-7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

battle-scarred

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

'showing signs' is the definition.
The definition and answer are not the same part of speech.

'fight?' is the wordplay.
I cannot really see how this works, but
'fight?' could be 'battle' ('battle' can be a synonym of 'fight') and 'battle' is found in the answer.
The remaining letters 'scarred' is a valid word which might be clued in a way I don't understand.
This may be the basis of the clue (or it may be nonsense).

'of' is the link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for battle-scarred that I've seen before include "Visibly wounded" , "Damaged in warfare" , "War-torn" .)

I've seen this clue in The Globe and Mail.
Want a hint initially instead of a full solution? Install my app