Crossword Genius

Tooth decay hampers last of polar bears (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

carries

'bears' is the definition.
('carry' can be a synonym of 'bear')

'tooth decay hampers last of polar' is the wordplay.
'tooth decay' becomes 'caries' (term for decay of a tooth or bone).
'hampers' is an insertion indicator (hamper can mean to fasten).
'last of' indicates one should take the final letters.
The last letter of 'polar' is 'r'.
'caries' enclosing 'r' is 'CARRIES'.

(Another definition for carries that I've seen is " Bears".)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.
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.