Wife, sent underground without resistance, avoided the worst weather (8)

I believe the answer is:

wintered

'avoided the worst weather' is the definition.
(birds winter in warmer areas to avoid cold weather)

'wife sent underground without resistance' is the wordplay.
'wife' becomes 'w'.
'sent underground' becomes 'interred' (to inter is to bury).
'without' suggests deleting specific letters.
'resistance' becomes 'r' (abbreviation).
'interred' with 'r' taken out is 'intered'.
'w'+'intered'='WINTERED'

I've seen this clue in The Times.

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