Cryptic crossword clue
Circling eastern enclosure, mount rose sharply 9

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

I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
S
T
E
E
P
E
N
E
D

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "rose sharply /rose sharply" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case rose sharply /rose sharply = steepened.
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 STEEPENED mean?

STEEPENED verb
  1. To make steeper.
  2. To become steeper.

Latest crossword clues with full explanations