Crossword Genius

Only half aligns bins using this by way of a defence (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

alibi

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

'way of a defence' is the definition.
'alibi' can be an answer for 'defence' (defence given to police by a suspect). I'm not certain of the 'way of a' bit.

'only half aligns bins using this by' is the wordplay.
'only half' suggests halving the letters.
'bins using' becomes 'bi' (I can't justify this - if you can you should give a lot more credence to this answer).
'this by' is a charade indicator (letters next to each other).
'aligns' with half the letters taken is 'ali'.
'ali'+'bi'='ALIBI'

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for alibi that I've seen before include "Making excuse" , "A claim one was elsewhere when crime took place" , "Story confirming innocence" , "Excuse, defence" , "Defence in court" .)

I've seen this clue in The Irish Times.
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.