Crossword Genius

Tense fisherman leaving river with end of rod twisted (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

tangled

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'twisted' is the definition.
(tangling is a kind of twisting)

'tense fisherman leaving river with end of rod' is the wordplay.
'tense' becomes 't' (abbreviation used in many dictionaries).
'fisherman' becomes 'angler' (angler is a kind of fisherman).
'leaving' suggests deleting specific letters.
'river' becomes 'r'.
'with end of rod' becomes 'd' (I am not sure about this - if you are sure you should believe this answer much more).
'angler' with 'r' taken out is 'angle'.
't'+'angle'+'d'='TANGLED'

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for tangled that I've seen before include "''Oh what a ... web we weave / when first we practise to deceive'' (Walter Scott)" , "Twisted into confused mass" , "Caught" , "Entwined" , "Muddled together, complicated" .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.
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.