Crossword Genius

Time to enter gorge, say (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

state

'say' is the definition.
('state' can be a synonym of 'say')

'time to enter gorge' is the wordplay.
'time' becomes 't'.
'to enter' means one lot of letters goes inside another.
'gorge' becomes 'sate' (I've seen this before).
't' inserted into 'sate' is 'STATE'.

(Other definitions for state that I've seen before include "Condition - sovereign political power" , "eg Rhode Island" , "Say; nation" , "Say; country" , "Pomp; nation" .)

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.