Cryptic crossword clue
Harsh year, marked by pollution 5

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word GRIMY

I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
G
R
I
M
Y

Buddy explains!

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

GRIMY adjective
  1. Stained or covered with grime.
  2. From the urban musical genre called grime.

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