Cryptic crossword clue
It lessens suffering of old man held by assassin 10

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

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

The straight part
We know that "It lessens suffering" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case it lessens suffering = painkiller.
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 PAINKILLER mean?

PAINKILLER noun
  1. A drug that numbs the pain in the body.

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