The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 6 letter word SMUDGE
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
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More clues leading to the result SMUDGE
- Mark in trousers, mud generally
- It’s covered in Ypres mud, getting a dirty mark
- Small slander, for example, turning to smear
- Song opens with slander, say, about Mark
- Mark mused wretchedly embracing godhead
- Dirty rim of mug used for a brew
- Second slander, say, upset Mark
- Complacent about daughter needing English mark
- Streak across mud, getting immersed
- Dirty mark from gross mud generally
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "a dirty mark" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case a dirty mark = smudge.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 SMUDGE mean?
SMUDGE noun- A blemish or smear, especially a dark or sooty one.
- Dense smoke, such as that used for fumigation.
- A heap of damp combustibles partially ignited and burning slowly, placed on the windward side of a house, tent, etc. to keep off mosquitoes or other insects.
- (especially in the phrase "smudge stick" = "stick of incense") A quantity of herbs used in suffumigation.
- To obscure by blurring; to smear.
- To soil or smear with dirt.
- To use dense smoke to protect from insects.
- To stifle or smother with smoke.
- To burn herbs as a cleansing ritual (suffumigation).
- To subject to ritual burning of herbs (suffumigation, smudging).