Zapped, in a way

LASED

["Here’s a helpful hint for the clue **\"Zapped, in a way\"** with the answer **\"LASED\"**:\n\n*\"Like a sci-fi weapon’s action, past tense.\"*\n\nThis hint:\n- Suggests a futuristic or high-tech context (sci-fi weapon).\n- Points to a verb form (past tense) without directly naming the action.\n- Avoids repeating \"zapped\" or giving away \"laser\" outright.\n\nIt nudges the solver toward thinking of energy-based actions while keeping the answer subtle."]

The clue **"Zapped, in a way"** leads to the answer **"LASED"** through the following wordplay: - **"Zapped"** suggests the action of striking with energy or light, often associated with lasers. - **"In a way"** hints at a specific method or form of "zapping," which in this case refers to the use of a **laser** (as a verb, "to lase" means to emit laser light). - The answer **"LASED"** is the past tense of "lase," meaning to have emitted laser light, thus fitting the idea of being "zapped" in a particular manner. This is a playful use of scientific terminology in a crossword context, where "lased" is a less common but precise term for being hit by a laser.