Crossword Genius

Thus penning clue for religion (6)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

shinto

'religion' is the definition.
(Shinto is an example)

'thus penning clue' is the wordplay.
'thus' becomes 'so' ('so' can be a synonym of 'thus').
'penning' is an insertion indicator.
'clue' becomes 'hint' ('hint' can be a synonym of 'clue').
'so' placed around 'hint' is 'SHINTO'.

'for' acts as a link.

(Other definitions for shinto that I've seen before include "Japanese cult" , "Japanese religion revering ancestors" , "State religion of Japan until 1945" , "Japanese worship" , "Japenese religion revering ancestors" .)

I've seen this clue in The 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.