Crossword Genius

What's payable for loss-leader causes fight (4)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

duel

'fight' is the definition.
(dueling is a kind of fighting)

'what's payable for loss-leader' is the wordplay.
'what's payable' becomes 'due' (similar in meaning).
'for' is a charade indicator (letters next to each other).
'leader' indicates taking the first letters.
The initial letter of 'loss' is 'l'.
'due'+'l'='DUEL'

'causes' acts as a link.

(Other definitions for duel that I've seen before include "Combat to settle a row" , "Prearranged engagement" , "Fight to the death between two people" , "shoot-out?" , "Contest between two with deadly weapons" .)

I've seen this clue in The Irish Times.
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