The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word HITLISTS
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Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "catalogues of persons to be eliminated" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case catalogues of persons to be eliminated = hitlists.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 HITLISTS mean?
HITLISTS noun- A roster of potential victims, especially a list of people to be killed.
- A similar list of people to be approached for a charitable donation.
- Any list of things to be acquired or conquered.