Cryptic crossword clue
It would be most useful if death and sin were destroyed 8

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word HANDIEST

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

The straight part
We know that "It would be most useful" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case it would be most useful = handiest.
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 HANDIEST mean?

HANDIEST adjective
  1. Easy to use, useful.
  2. Nearby, within reach.
  3. Of a person: dexterous, skilful.
  4. Physically violent; tending to use one's fists.
  5. Of a freight ship: having a small cargo capacity (less than 40,000 DWT); belonging to the handysize class.

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