The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word MITIGATE
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
M
I
T
I
G
A
T
E
More clues leading to the result MITIGATE
- Commute time halved through big road opening
- Reduce international attendance at Cambridge University
- Lessen hardness of college entrance — one gets in
- Mollify one involved in US university scandal?
- Mollify small child holding a gun
- Ease university means of admission to let one in
- American university with current opening for moderate
- Ease with which yours truly gets entrance at back of US university
- Calm partner eating Italian icing vacantly
- Alleviate unsteady gait in time, undergoing treatment
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Lessen hardness of" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case lessen hardness of = mitigate.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 MITIGATE mean?
MITIGATE verb- To reduce, lessen, or decrease; to make less severe or easier to bear.
- To downplay.