Cryptic crossword clue
Awful downers about opening of enquiry compounded 8

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word WORSENED

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

The straight part
We know that "compounded" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case compounded = worsened.
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 WORSENED mean?

WORSENED verb
  1. To make worse; to impair.
  2. To become worse; to get worse.
  3. To get the better of; to worst.

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