Crossword Genius

Total time with colleague (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

tally

'total' is the definition.
('tally' can be a synonym of 'total')

'time with colleague' is the wordplay.
'time' becomes 't'.
'with' says to put letters next to each other.
'colleague' becomes 'ally' (I've seen this before).
't'+'ally'='TALLY'

(Other definitions for tally that I've seen before include "Agree - count" , "Coincide" , "Record; agree" , "Running total" , "Mark" .)

I've seen this clue in The Guardian.
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.