Cryptic crossword clue
Heartless verdict is punishing financially 6

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 6 letter word FINING

I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
F
I
N
I
N
G

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "punishing financially" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case punishing financially = fining.
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 FINING mean?

FINING verb
  1. To make finer, purer, or cleaner; to purify or clarify.
  2. To become finer, purer, or cleaner.
  3. To make finer, or less coarse, as in bulk, texture, etc.
  4. To change by fine gradations.
  5. To clarify (wine and beer) by filtration.
  6. To become gradually fine; to diminish; to dwindle (with away, down, or off).
FINING verb
  1. To issue a fine as punishment to (someone).
  2. To pay a fine.
FINING verb
  1. To finish; to cease.
  2. To cause to cease; to stop.

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