Crossword Genius

Person that is offensive (6)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

sortie

'offensive' is the definition.
(both can mean a military attack)

'person that is' is the wordplay.
'person' becomes 'sort' (sort can mean a person or character).
'that is' becomes 'ie' (abbreviation for id est, 'that is' in Latin).
'sort'+'ie'='SORTIE'

(Other definitions for sortie that I've seen before include "Offensive" , "Short trip; attack" , "Military foray" , "Short foray" , "Sudden attack by besieged troops" .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.
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