Cryptic crossword clue
Lives created in self-reliant way 15

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 15 letter word AUTOBIOGRAPHIES

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

The straight part
We know that "Lives" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case lives = autobiographies.
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 AUTOBIOGRAPHIES mean?

AUTOBIOGRAPHIES noun
  1. A self-written biography; the story of one's own life.

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