Crossword Genius

Slump, depressed, next to item in playground (9)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

downswing

'slump' is the definition.
(thesaurus)

'depressed next to item in playground' is the wordplay.
'depressed' becomes 'down' (synonyms).
'next to' is a charade indicator (letters next to each other).
'item in playground' becomes 'swing' (a swing set).
'down'+'swing'='DOWNSWING'

(Other definitions for downswing that I've seen before include "trend towards recession?" , "Part of drive" , "decline" , "worsening of economy" .)

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.