Crossword Genius

Criminal nears trap (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

snare

'trap' is the definition.
(snare is a kind of trap)

'criminal nears' is the wordplay.
'criminal' indicates anagramming the letters.
'nears' anagrammed gives 'SNARE'.

(Other definitions for snare that I've seen before include "Kind of trap, often with noose" , "Entrap" , "Animal trap" , "Gin, possibly" , "Loop of wire as trap" .)

I've seen this clue in The Guardian.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.