Crossword Genius

Beat the counter-Reformation (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

trounce

'beat' is the definition.
(I know that beat can be written as trounce)

'counter-reformation' is the wordplay.
'reformation' indicates an anagram.
'counter' anagrammed gives 'TROUNCE'.

'the' acts as a link.

(Other definitions for trounce that I've seen before include "tank" , "Thrash" , "Thump" , "Beat heavily" , "Utterly defeat" .)

I've seen this clue in The Globe and Mail.
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