Crossword Genius

Fellow with line in excellent restraint (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

manacle

'restraint' is the definition.
(manacle is a kind of restraint)

'fellow with line in excellent' is the wordplay.
'fellow with' becomes 'man' (I've seen this in other clues).
'line' becomes 'l'.
'in' is an insertion indicator.
'excellent' becomes 'ace' (I've seen this before).
'l' inserted into 'ace' is 'acle'.
'man'+'acle'='MANACLE'

(Other definitions for manacle that I've seen before include "Fetter" , "Curb" , "restricting at the cuff?" , "Shackle on the wrist" , "Handcuff" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.
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.