Crossword Genius

Land area larger when finally reduced! (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

islet

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'land' is the definition.
(islet is a kind of land)

'area larger when finally reduced' is the wordplay.
I cannot quite understand how this works, but
'area' could be 'isle' (I have seen 'Area of land' mean 'isle' so perhaps 'area' could also mean 'isle') and 'isle' is located in the answer.
A single letter 't' remains which might be clued in a way I don't understand.
This may be the basis of clue (or it may be nonsense).

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for islet that I've seen before include "Small landmass" , "Ait or key" , "A small piece of territory" , "small key?" , "Minor key" .)

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.