Cryptic crossword clue
Firm currently in recession secured by industry 4-3

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word HARD-WON

I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
H
A
R
D
-
W
O
N

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "secured by industry" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case secured by industry = hard-won.
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 HARD-WON mean?

HARD-WON adjective
  1. Having been obtained with effort, despite difficulty and hardship.

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