The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word DEPICTION
I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
D
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P
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C
T
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Buddy explains!

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 DEPICTION mean?
DEPICTION noun- A lifelike image of something, either verbal or visual
- A drawing or painting
- A representation