Cryptic crossword clue
Encouraging, pieces in gift with no plastic 9

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word FOMENTING

I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
F
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Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Encouraging" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case encouraging = fomenting.
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 FOMENTING mean?

FOMENTING verb
  1. To incite or cause troublesome acts; to encourage; to instigate.
  2. To apply a poultice to; to bathe with a cloth or sponge.

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