Cryptic crossword clue
Clergy in church when keeping free from fancy stuff 9

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

I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
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Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Clergy" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case clergy = chaplains.
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 CHAPLAINS mean?

CHAPLAINS noun
  1. A member of a religious body (often, but not always, of the clergy) officially assigned to give pastoral care at an institution, group, private chapel, etc.
  2. A person without religious affiliation who carries out similar duties in a secular context.

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