Crossword Genius

Scorch the surface of (4)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

sear

'scorch the surface of' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)

This is the entire clue.

(Other definitions for sear that I've seen before include "Scorch, brand" , "Dried-up, parched" , "Burn briefly" , "Cauterize" , "Cauterise" .)

I've seen this clue in The New York Times and the USA Today.
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