The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word DEFUSED
I've seen this crossword clue in The Sunday Telegraph
D
E
F
U
S
E
D
More clues leading to the result DEFUSED
- Retired FBI agent sued criminal and cooled down
- Relieved date said no to skipping starter
- Fed up and exploited, prevented from going off
- Worked in bomb disposal and came unstuck?
- Fed up with being exploited and rendered ineffective
- Indeed the first three with the right to vote came back and calmed down
- Calmed by action limiting trouble largely
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "prevented from going off" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case prevented from going off = defused.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does DEFUSED mean?
DEFUSED verb- To remove the fuse from (a bomb, etc.).
- To make less dangerous, tense, or hostile.
- To disorder; to make shapeless.