Cryptic crossword clue
Is most prominent, but badly impersonated 12

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 12 letter word PREDOMINATES

I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
P
R
E
D
O
M
I
N
A
T
E
S

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Is most prominent" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case is most prominent = predominates.
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 PREDOMINATES mean?

PREDOMINATES verb
  1. To dominate, have control, or succeed by superior numbers or size.
  2. To be prominent; to loom large; to be the chief component of a whole.
  3. To dominate or hold power over, especially through numerical advantage; to outweigh.

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