Cryptic crossword clue
Failure of play to work on the queen 2-5

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 2 plus 5 letter word NO HOPER

I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
N
O
H
O
P
E
R

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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 NO HOPER mean?

NO HOPER noun
  1. Someone or something that has no hope of success.

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