Crossword Genius

Terribly late, socialist changed (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

altered

'changed' is the definition.
('alter' can be a synonym of 'change')

'terribly late socialist' is the wordplay.
'terribly' indicates an anagram.
'socialist' becomes 'red' (red can informally mean a socialist).
'late' is an anagram of 'alte'.
'alte'+'red'='ALTERED'

(Other definitions for altered that I've seen before include "Changed, adapted" , "Change" , "Treadle (anag)" , "Different" , "Metamorphosed" .)

I've seen this clue in The Daily Express.
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.