Crossword Genius

Soldiers execute steps to defend home rule (9)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

ordinance

'rule' is the definition.
(ordinance is a kind of rule)

'soldiers execute steps to defend home' is the wordplay.
'soldiers' becomes 'or' (Other Rank).
'execute steps' becomes 'dance' (to dance is to perform certain choreographed steps).
'to defend' is an insertion indicator.
'home' becomes 'in' ('he's home' can mean 'he's in').
'dance' placed around 'in' is 'dinance'.
'or'+'dinance'='ORDINANCE'

(Other definitions for ordinance that I've seen before include "religious service maybe" , "Bye-law of a city government" , "Edict, order" , "Rule" , "Bill" .)

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