Cut in crude fashion by an editor (7)
I believe the answer is:
reduced
'cut' is the definition.
(similar in meaning)
'crude fashion by an editor' is the wordplay.
'fashion' indicates anagramming the letters.
'by' says to put letters next to each other.
'an editor' becomes 'ed' (abbreviation).
'crude' with letters rearranged gives 'reduc'.
'reduc'+'ed'='REDUCED'
'in' is the link.
(Other definitions for reduced that I've seen before include "Got rid of some bodily weight" , "Impoverished" , "looked smaller" , "Boiled down" , "Curtailed" .)