What does the cryptic crossword clue "Gave permission and reportedly went under, was ignored (10)" mean?

The definition is "Gave permission". The wordplay uses a homophone (sounds like). Homophone of “sank” + “shunned” – the “was” spoils the cryptic reading as “shunned” means “ignored”, not “was ignored” The answer is SANCTIONED.

Gave permission and reportedly went under, was ignored (10)

Guardian Cryptic #28282 | 13 Down | 2020-11-04 flower

← Back to puzzle

Visit Guardian's puzzle site →