Crossword Genius

State finding dodgy dealer has captured Charlie (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

declare

'state' is the definition.
(I know that state is a kind of advise)

'dodgy dealer has captured charlie' is the wordplay.
'dodgy' indicates an anagram (a dodgy or wrong order of the letters).
'has captured' is an insertion indicator.
'charlie' becomes 'C' (phonetic alphabet).
'dealer' anagrammed gives 'delare'.
'delare' placed around 'c' is 'DECLARE'.

'finding' acts as a link.

(Other definitions for declare that I've seen before include "Aver, state" , "Announce formally" , "State clearly, announce officially" , "Proclaim" , "Make a statement, to customs perhaps" .)

I've seen this clue in The Guardian.
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.