Cryptic crossword clue
Fading away, full of contempt 9

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

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

The straight part
We know that "Fading away/full of contempt" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case fading away/full of contempt = withering.
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 WITHERING mean?

WITHERING verb
  1. To shrivel, droop or dry up, especially from lack of water.
  2. To cause to shrivel or dry up.
  3. To lose vigour or power; to languish; to pass away.
  4. To become helpless due to emotion.
  5. To make helpless due to emotion.
WITHERING verb
  1. To go against, resist; oppose.
WITHERING noun
  1. The process by which something withers.
WITHERING adjective
  1. Tending to destroy, devastate, overwhelm or cause complete destruction.
  2. Diminishing rapidly.
  3. Tending to make someone feel small; scornful in a mortifying way.

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