Cryptic crossword clue
Acts in sequence – talents are wasted 10

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 10 letter word ALTERNATES

I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
A
L
T
E
R
N
A
T
E
S

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Acts in sequence" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case acts in sequence = alternates.
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 ALTERNATES mean?

ALTERNATES noun
  1. That which alternates with something else; vicissitude.
  2. A substitute; an alternative; one designated to take the place of another, if necessary, in performing some duty.
  3. A proportion derived from another proportion by interchanging the means.
  4. A replacement of equal or greater value or function.
  5. Figures or tinctures that succeed each other by turns.
ALTERNATES verb
  1. To perform by turns, or in succession; to cause to succeed by turns; to interchange regularly.
  2. To happen, succeed, or act by turns; to follow reciprocally in place or time; followed by with.
  3. To vary by turns.
  4. To perform an alternation (removal of alternate vertices) on (a polytope or tessellation); to remove vertices (from a face or edge) as part of an alternation.

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