Cryptic crossword clue
Ditzy dame in red top stole the show 12

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

I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
P
R
E
D
O
M
I
N
A
T
E
D

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "stole the show" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case stole the show = predominated.
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 PREDOMINATED mean?

PREDOMINATED verb
  1. To dominate, have control, or succeed by superior numbers or size.
  2. To be prominent; to loom large; to be the chief component of a whole.
  3. To dominate or hold power over, especially through numerical advantage; to outweigh.

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