Cryptic crossword clue
Armies in peril worked out first things to be done 13

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 13 letter word PRELIMINARIES

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

The straight part
We know that "first things to be done" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case first things to be done = preliminaries.
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 PRELIMINARIES mean?

PRELIMINARIES noun
  1. A preparation for a main matter; an introduction.
  2. Any of a series of sports events that determine the finalists
  3. A relatively minor contest that precedes a major one, especially in boxing

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