Crossword Genius

Worries at second stroke (6)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

caress

'stroke' is the definition.
(I know that caress is a type of stroke)

'worries at second' is the wordplay.
'worries' becomes 'cares' (I've seen this before).
'at' says to put letters next to each other.
'second' becomes 's' (common abbreviation).
'cares'+'s'='CARESS'

(Other definitions for caress that I've seen before include "Affectionate stroke" , "Touch with affection" , "Stroke lightly in a loving manner" , "Gentle stroke" , "Stroke fondly" .)

I've seen this clue in The Mirror.
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