Crossword Genius

Stop initial offence being capital (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

quito

'being capital' is the definition.
(capital of Ecuador)

'stop initial offence' is the wordplay.
'stop' becomes 'quit' (synonyms).
'initial' suggests taking the first letters.
The initial letter of 'offence' is 'o'.
'quit'+'o'='QUITO'

(Other definitions for quito that I've seen before include "Ecuadorian capital" , "City" , "S America" , "Capital of Ecuador" .)

I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.
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.