Cryptic crossword clue
Earl touches ranks around Verdun 5

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word ETATS

E
T
A
T
S

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "ranks around Verdun" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case ranks around verdun = etats.
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.

Crossword Answer definitions

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