The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word ERADICATE
I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
E
R
A
D
I
C
A
T
E
More clues leading to the result ERADICATE
- Destroy order, losing time after time
- Get rid of animal, in decline after a period
- Time to get to station, perhaps — detectives are being brought up to scratch
- Ruler quit, ignoring British excise
- Remove a goddess after her first heartless command
- Remove European judge jailing a lot of sleuths from the south
- Destroy monarch with a heartless order
- Dispose of mouse finally caught in shed
- Annihilate energy getting spread out around the speed of light
- Get rid of command, having lost time after time
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Destroy" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case destroy = eradicate.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 ERADICATE mean?
ERADICATE verb- To pull up by the roots; to uproot.
- To destroy completely; to reduce to nothing radically; to put an end to; to extirpate.