What does the cryptic crossword clue "Stop dead and liberate heartless zombie (6)" mean?

The definition is "Stop dead". The wordplay uses charade, deletion. FREE (synonym of "liberate") + ZE (part of "zombie") [gutting: "heartless"]; definition: "Stop dead" The answer is FREEZE.

Stop dead and liberate heartless zombie (6)

Guardian Cryptic #29270 | 25 Across | 2024-01-04 flower

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