Cryptic crossword clue
Deborah and Tracy misused source of energy 12

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

I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
C
A
R
B
O
H
Y
D
R
A
T
E

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "source of energy" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case source of energy = carbohydrate.
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 CARBOHYDRATE mean?

CARBOHYDRATE noun
  1. (nutrition) A sugar, starch, or cellulose that is a food source of energy for an animal or plant.
  2. (by extension, metonym) Any food rich in starch or other carbohydrates.

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