Cryptic crossword clue
Accelerator providing early finish for vehicle - or not, strangely 9

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word CYCLOTRON

I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
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Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Accelerator" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case accelerator = cyclotron.
The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.
This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.

What does CYCLOTRON mean?

CYCLOTRON noun
  1. An early particle accelerator in which charged particles were generated at a central source and accelerated spirally outward through a fixed magnetic field and alternating electric fields.

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