Crossword Genius

The Maori existed on leftovers (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

waste

'leftovers' is the definition.
(I have seen 'Useless leftovers ' mean 'waste' so perhaps 'leftovers' could also mean 'waste')

'the maori existed on' is the wordplay.
'the maori' becomes 'te' (I've seen this in other clues).
'existed' becomes 'was' ('be' can be a synonym of 'exist').
'on' says to put letters next to each other.
'te' put after 'was' is 'WASTE'.

(Other definitions for waste that I've seen before include "Not use effectively" , "Misuse" , "Fritter away" , "unused" , "Rubbish, barren land" .)

I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.
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.