18 across
Revolutionary
device
for
playing
truant
out
of
order
–
nearly
ran
(9)
Revolutionary device for playing truant out of order – nearly ran (9)
hints
0
checks
0
hints
The definition is at the beginning of the clue.
How the clue works
The Revolutionary device here is something that literally revolves to play records. TRUANT gets rearranged (signalled by 'out of order') to give TURNTA, then BLED meaning 'ran' (as ink runs on a page) is shortened by one letter ('nearly') to BLE, and the two parts join up.