Cryptic crossword clue
Hacks in difficulty — leader appears finally 4

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 4 letter word NAGS

I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
N
A
G
S

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Hacks" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case hacks = nags.
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 NAGS mean?

NAGS noun
  1. A small horse; a pony.
  2. An old useless horse.
  3. A paramour.
NAGS noun
  1. Someone or something that nags.
  2. A repeated complaint or reminder.
  3. A persistent, bothersome thought or worry

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