Cryptic crossword clue
Charm hostage over a time 9

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word CAPTIVATE

I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
C
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Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Charm" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case charm = captivate.
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 CAPTIVATE mean?

CAPTIVATE verb
  1. To attract and hold interest and attention of; charm.
  2. To take prisoner; to capture; to subdue.

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