Crossword Genius

Act before an underling gains control (8)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

dominion

'control' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)

'act before an underling' is the wordplay.
'act' becomes 'do' (I've seen this in other clues).
'before' is a charade indicator (letters next to each other).
'an underling' becomes 'minion' (I've seen this before).
'do'+'minion'='DOMINION'

'gains' acts as a link.

(Other definitions for dominion that I've seen before include "Realm" , "Jurisdiction" , "Territorial possession controlled by a ruling state" , "power" , "Sovereignty, control" .)

I've seen this clue in The Guardian and The Telegraph.
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