Cryptic crossword clue
Deviously staged, whichever way you look at it

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 6 letter word PUT-UP

I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
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Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Deviously staged" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case deviously staged = put-up.
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 PUT-UP mean?

PUT-UP noun
  1. Something prearranged or faked in order to trick someone or to advance one's own interests.
PUT-UP adjective
  1. (of an event) Secretly arranged in advance, especially in order to defraud someone or to advance one's own interests.

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