Crossword Genius

The fellow grew older but coped (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

managed

'coped' is the definition.
('manage' can be a synonym of 'cope')

'the fellow grew older' is the wordplay.
'the fellow' becomes 'man' (fellow can mean a man).
'grew older' becomes 'aged' ('age' can be a synonym of 'grow older').
'man'+'aged'='MANAGED'

'but' acts as a link.

(Other definitions for managed that I've seen before include "Controlled, was in charge of" , "Coped" , "Ran, administered" , "Supervised (staff)" , "Contrived" .)

I've seen this clue in The Irish News.
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.