Cryptic crossword clue
Insincere person is held by agent and broken down somehow 10

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 10 letter word FACTORISED

I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
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Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "broken down somehow" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case broken down somehow = factorised.
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 FACTORISED mean?

FACTORISED verb
  1. To create a list of the factors of.
  2. To divide an expression into a list of items that, when multiplied together, will produce the original quantity.
  3. To warn not to pay or give up goods.
  4. To attach the effects of a debtor in the hands of a third party.

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