The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 10 letter word ADULTERESS
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
A
D
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More clues leading to the result ADULTERESS
- Madame Bovary for example breaks a habit with cases of unfaithful turpitude
- Let us read novel, singular one like Madame Bovary
- Major preceding brutal soldiers is a cheat
- One cheating criminally resulted in appeal being rejected
- Qualities evenly incorporated in an outfit for Madame Bovary, perhaps?
- Woman whose tears led us astray?
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "a cheat" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case a cheat = adulteress.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 ADULTERESS mean?
ADULTERESS noun- A female adulterer, a married woman or wife who commits adultery.