Crossword Genius

Wind tears round a lake (6)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

spiral

'wind' is the definition.
(spiraling is a kind of winding)

'tears round a lake' is the wordplay.
'tears' becomes 'rips' (rip is a kind of tear**).
'round' says the letters should be written in reverse.
'lake' becomes 'l'.
'rips' back-to-front is 'spir'.
'spir'+'a'+'l'='SPIRAL'

(Other definitions for spiral that I've seen before include "Type of staircase" , "Shape of coil or helix" , "Winding curve" , "Shape of a corkscrew or spring" , "Corkscrew shape (6)." .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.
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