Cryptic crossword clue
Daft headline becomes critically important 4-3-5

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 14 letter word LIFE-AND-DEATH

I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
L
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More clues leading to the result LIFE-AND-DEATH

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "critically important" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case critically important = life-and-death.
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 LIFE-AND-DEATH mean?

LIFE-AND-DEATH adjective
  1. Of critical importance to the survival of a living organism.
  2. Having death as a possible or even likely outcome; perilous.
  3. Of critical importance to the success of a particular endeavor.

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