Cryptic crossword clue
Germany provided backing to stop eg lead pollution 10

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

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

The straight part
We know that "pollution" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case pollution = defilement.
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 DEFILEMENT mean?

DEFILEMENT noun
  1. The act of defiling.
  2. The state of being defiled.
  3. The protection of the interior walls of a fortification from enfilading fire, as by covering them, or by a high parapet on the exposed side.

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