Crossword Genius

Streak of light encountered upset small deer (6)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

meteor

'streak of light' is the definition.
(meteors streak through the sky)

'encountered upset small deer' is the wordplay.
'encountered' becomes 'met' ('meet' can be a synonym of 'encounter').
'upset' says the letters should be written in reverse.
'small deer' becomes 'roe' (I've seen this in another clue).
'roe' written backwards gives 'eor'.
'met'+'eor'='METEOR'

(Other definitions for meteor that I've seen before include "Shooting star" , "extraterrestrial debris" , "Small extraterrestrial body" , "lump of rock" , "Small piece of matter in the solar system" .)

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.