Cryptic crossword clue
Criminal is clever, getting short sentence 8

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word VERSICLE

I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
V
E
R
S
I
C
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E

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "short sentence" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case short sentence = versicle.
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 VERSICLE mean?

VERSICLE noun
  1. In poetry and songs, particularly hymns, one of a series of lines that are shorter than a standard line of verse.
  2. In liturgy, the verse said by the officiant.

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