Crossword Genius

Refuse to be guilty of excessive consumption (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

waste

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'consumption' is the definition.
(thesaurus)

I don't understand how the rest of the clue works.

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(Other definitions for waste that I've seen before include "''.... not, want not''" , "Use to no purpose" , "Spend thoughtlessly or use inefficiently" , "Useless leftovers" , "Not use effectively" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.
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