The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word MISHANDLE
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
M
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A
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More clues leading to the result MISHANDLE
- Deal inappropriately with the Wolverine State
- Make a hash of announcing composer’s daughter?
- Badly treat girl, forgetting second name
- Fluff man held is foul
- Composer’s sister said to be in ruin
- Drive badly as request for noise-reduction added to stopping distance
- Maltreat said girl with title
- Grieve for the loss of composer reportedly in ruin
- Deal badly with worker, taken in by awkward smile
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Badly treat/Badly treat" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case badly treat/badly treat = mishandle.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 MISHANDLE mean?
MISHANDLE noun- Rough manipulation which causes physical damage.
- Ineffective or incorrect deal.
- Improper, wrong, or bad usage or treatment; abuse.
- To manipulate something roughly, causing physical damage.
- To deal with a situation incorrectly or ineffectively; to make a mistake in handling a situation.