Cryptic crossword clue
Half of a half, say, overcoming monarch in controversial underground operations 8

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word FRACKING

I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
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Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "controversial underground operations" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case controversial underground operations = fracking.
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 FRACKING mean?

FRACKING noun
  1. Hydraulic fracturing.
FRACKING adjective
  1. (bowdlerization) Fucking.

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