Crossword Genius

They reward or punish unruly priests (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

stripes

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

'they reward or punish' is the definition.
The definition suggests an adverb but the answer is not.

'unruly priests' is the wordplay.
'unruly' indicates an anagram.
'priests' with letters rearranged gives 'STRIPES'.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for stripes that I've seen before include "Chevrons on uniforms" , "Bands of contrasting colours" , "Insignia of rank" , "See 17" , "Bands or lines" .)

I've seen this clue in The Globe and Mail.
Want a hint initially instead of a full solution? Install my app