The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word SMUTS
S
M
U
T
S
More clues leading to the result SMUTS
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Black marks/distinguished soldier" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case black marks/distinguished soldier = smuts.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 SMUTS mean?
SMUTS noun- Soot.
- A flake of ash or soot.
- Sexually vulgar material; something that is sexual in a dirty way; pornographic material.
- Obscene language; ribaldry; obscenity.
- Any of a range of fungi, mostly Ustilaginomycetes, that cause plant disease in grasses, including cereal crops; the disease so caused.
- Bad, soft coal containing earthy matter, found in the immediate locality of faults.