Cryptic crossword clue
Ace in race vehicle getting measure of Americans 5

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word KARAT

I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
K
A
R
A
T

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "measure of Americans" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case measure of americans = karat.
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 KARAT mean?

KARAT noun
  1. A unit of fineness or concentration of gold equalling 1/24 part of gold in an alloy.

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