Chatted online, in brief

IMPEACHED

"Here’s a helpful hint for your clue: "It starts with a common texting abbreviation and ends with a past-tense fruit-related word." This hint guides the solver toward the structure of the answer ("IM" + a word like "peached") without giving away the full solution or repeating the original clue. It also subtly reinforces the wordplay involved."

This clue is a clever example of a crossword pun or homophone-based wordplay. Here's how it works: 1. "Chatted online, in brief" – The phrase "chatted online" commonly refers to instant messaging (IM). The abbreviation for this is "IM." 2.