Crossword Genius

Thugs rip out goalposts? (8)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

uprights

'goalposts?' is the definition.
(goalpost is a kind of upright)

'thugs rip out' is the wordplay.
'out' is an anagram indicator (out can mean wrong or inaccurate).
'thugs'+'rip'='thugsrip'
'thugsrip' with letters rearranged gives 'UPRIGHTS'.

(Other definitions for uprights that I've seen before include "Vertical posts or stakes" , "Vertical posts in rugby pitch" , "Vertical posts as in rugby goal" , "Vertical posts as for rugby match" , "goalposts?" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.
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.