Tiny Bess, about to lose son, puts down .... (9)

I believe the answer is:

belittles

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

'puts down' is the definition.
(I've seen this in another clue)

'tiny bess about' is the wordplay.
'tiny' becomes 'little' (similar in meaning).
'bess' becomes 'bes' (I can't explain this - if you can you should believe this answer much more).
'about' indicates putting letters inside.
'little' placed into 'bes' is 'BELITTLES'.

'to lose son' is the link.
This may not be right. Some or all of it may be part of another bit of the clue.

Can you help me to learn more?

I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.

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.