Crossword Genius

Control over Queen wearing crown (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

operate

'control' is the definition.
(synonyms)

'over queen wearing crown' is the wordplay.
'over' becomes 'o' (cricket abbreviation).
'queen' becomes 'ER' (abbreviation for Elizabeth Regina).
'wearing' means one lot of letters goes inside another.
'crown' becomes 'pate' (both can mean a person's head).
'er' put into 'pate' is 'perate'.
'o'+'perate'='OPERATE'

(Other definitions for operate that I've seen before include "Cut - run" , "effect" , "(Of machine) function" , "Perform surgery or run a machine" , "Work - perform surgery" .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.
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