Cryptic crossword clue
Mischief-maker with affectedness improves? Quite the opposite 7

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word IMPAIRS

I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
I
M
P
A
I
R
S

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "improves? Quite the opposite" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case improves? quite the opposite = impairs.
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 IMPAIRS mean?

IMPAIRS verb
  1. To weaken; to affect negatively; to have a diminishing effect on.
  2. To grow worse; to deteriorate.

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