Cryptic crossword clue
Broadway not as bad as the proverbial 6

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 6 letter word BYWORD

I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
B
Y
W
O
R
D

Buddy explains!

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

BYWORD noun
  1. A proverb or proverbial expression, common saying; a frequently used word or phrase.
  2. A characteristic word or expression; a word or phrase associated with a person or group.
  3. Someone or something that stands as an example (i.e. metonymically) for something else, by having some of that something's characteristic traits.
  4. An object of notoriety or contempt, scorn or derision.
  5. A nickname or epithet.

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