Cryptic crossword clue
Father tore part of coat — it’s a state he’s in 10

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 10 letter word PARENTHOOD

I've seen this crossword clue in The Sunday Telegraph
P
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Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "it’s a state he’s in" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case it’s a state he’s in = parenthood.
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 PARENTHOOD mean?

PARENTHOOD noun
  1. The state of being a parent

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