Cryptic crossword clue
More severe – cold leader suppressing the Spanish 8

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word CRUELLER

I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
C
R
U
E
L
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R

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "More severe" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case more severe = crueller.
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 CRUELLER mean?

CRUELLER adjective
  1. Intentionally causing or reveling in pain and suffering; merciless, heartless.
  2. Harsh; severe.
  3. Cool; awesome; neat.

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