Crossword Genius

Decline drinks close to one (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

lapse

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

'drinks close to one' is the wordplay.
'drinks' becomes 'laps' (lapping is a kind of drinking).
'close to' indicates one should take the final letters (the close/ending of).
The final letter of 'one' is 'e'.
'laps'+'e'='LAPSE'

(Other definitions for lapse that I've seen before include "unguarded moment" , "moral shortcoming" , "Brief (memory) failure" , "Failing" , "Careless mistake" .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.
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