Crossword Genius

This part of the range is huge, they say (6)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

massif

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

'this part of the range' is the definition.
('massif' is part of 'range')

'huge they say' is the wordplay.
I cannot really see how this works, but
'say' could be 'as' (I've seen this in other clues) and 'as' is located in the answer.
This explanation may well be incorrect...

'is' is the link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for massif that I've seen before include "Geographical formation" , "highlands" , "Compact group of mountains" , "Compact mountainous area" , "Geological mountain formation" .)

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