Treat harshly (4,2)
I believe the answer is:
step on
(Other definitions for step on that I've seen before include "Behave harshly towards" , "crush" .)
I've seen this clue in the Evening Standard.
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.