Cryptic crossword clue
Clerics‘ disciples hit back first 7

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word PARSONS

I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
P
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Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Clerics" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case clerics = parsons.
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 PARSONS mean?

PARSONS noun
  1. An Anglican cleric having full legal control of a parish under ecclesiastical law; a rector.
  2. A Protestant minister.

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