Cryptic crossword clue
Hard to avoid publican in possibly obscene fraud 9

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

I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
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The straight part
We know that "fraud" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case fraud = imposture.
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 IMPOSTURE mean?

IMPOSTURE noun
  1. The act or conduct of an impostor; deception practiced under a false or assumed character; fraud or imposition

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