The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 3 plus 2 letter word MOP UP
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
M
O
P
U
P
More clues leading to the result MOP UP
- Finish off second young seal
- Absorb work in month at university
- . Finish off with hair in beehive style?
- Dispose of bushy hair — revolting!
- Clear the mess made by Flash, the dog?
- Complete shock: winning
- Clean head of hair on top
- Clear away immigrant from UK?
- Dispose of tick on pet
- Dispose of what’s to be sold dishonestly after a short time?
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Clear the mess" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case clear the mess = mop up.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.