Cryptic crossword clue
Glow in the dark or escape through chimney

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word FLUORESCE

I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
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Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Glow in the dark" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case glow in the dark = fluoresce.
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 FLUORESCE mean?

FLUORESCE verb
  1. To emit electromagnetic radiation, especially visible light, when absorbing radiation of some other wavelength.
  2. Of colours, to be very bright; to be so bright as to appear to radiate as a light source.

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