Crossword Genius

To be ranked worse than F went down badly (6)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

grated

'went down badly' is the definition.
(something which grates is received badly)

'to be ranked worse than f' is the wordplay.
I cannot really understand how this works, but
'be' could be 'rate' (rating is a kind of being) and 'rate' is found in the answer.
This explanation may well be incorrect...

(Other definitions for grated that I've seen before include "Shredded (eg, carrots)" , "Made a harsh sound" , "Rubbed harshly as on nerves" , "Nutmeg and cheese often are" , "Shredded; was discordant" .)

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.