Crossword Genius

Following a line sideways (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

lateral

'sideways' is the definition.
(thesaurus)

'following a line' is the wordplay.
'following' becomes 'later' (I've seen this before).
'line' becomes 'l'.
'later'+'a'+'l'='LATERAL'

(Other definitions for lateral that I've seen before include "Way of thinking" , "Possibly right" , "Side branch" , "This kind of sideways thinking does not use conventional logic" , "Relating to the side" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.
Want a hint initially instead of a full solution? Install my app