Crossword Genius

Bit out of end of pen ran (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

nibbled

'bit' is the definition.
(nibbling is a kind of biting)

'end of pen ran' is the wordplay.
'end of pen' becomes 'nib'.
'ran' becomes 'bled' ('bleed' can be a synonym of 'run').
'nib'+'bled'='NIBBLED'

'out of' is the link.

(Other definitions for nibbled that I've seen before include "Took small bites (of something)" , "Took small bites; ate intermittently" , "Pecked" , "Bit off very small pieces" , "Bit off little pieces" .)

I've seen this clue in The Guardian.
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