Crossword Genius

Splendid and attractive without catch (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

magic

'splendid' is the definition.
(thesaurus)

'attractive without catch' is the wordplay.
'attractive' becomes 'magnetic' (synonyms).
'without' suggests deleting specific letters.
'catch' becomes 'net' (netting is a kind of catching).
'magnetic' with 'net' taken out is 'MAGIC'.

'and' is the link.

(Other definitions for magic that I've seen before include "Conjuring trick, legerdemain" , "Marvellous" , "Enchanting quality" , "Illusory feat" , "Sorcery - conjuring" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.
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