Cryptic crossword clue
French leave genuine French city, cutting east then north 7

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word TRUANCY

I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
T
R
U
A
N
C
Y

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "French leave" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case french leave = truancy.
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 TRUANCY mean?

TRUANCY noun
  1. The act of shirking from responsibilities and duties, especially from attending school.

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