Cryptic crossword clue
Commanding Officer with Marlboro initially asks for matches 12

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 12 letter word COMPETITIONS

I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
C
O
M
P
E
T
I
T
I
O
N
S

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "matches" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case matches = competitions.
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 COMPETITIONS mean?

COMPETITIONS noun
  1. The action of competing.
  2. A contest for a prize or award.
  3. The competitors in such a contest.

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