Crossword Genius

Shut up Zulu bands performing around king (8)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

imprison

'shut up' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)

'zulu bands performing around king' is the wordplay.
'zulu bands' becomes 'impis' (impi can mean a group of Zulu warriors).
'performing' becomes 'on' (as in being on stage).
'around' is an insertion indicator.
'king' becomes 'R' (abbreviation for rex, king in Latin).
'impis'+'on'='impison'
'impison' enclosing 'r' is 'IMPRISON'.

(Other definitions for imprison that I've seen before include "Put in jail" , "Lock up" , "Place in custody" , "Bang up" , "Send down" .)

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