Cryptic crossword clue
Delays one found in the likes of Paddington, explosive having been found earlier

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 11 letter word HESITATIONS

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

The straight part
We know that "Delays" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case delays = hesitations.
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 HESITATIONS mean?

HESITATIONS noun
  1. An act of hesitating
  2. Doubt; vacillation.
  3. A faltering in speech; stammering.

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