The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 6 letter word A-BOMB
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
A
-
B
O
M
B
More clues leading to the result A-BOMB
- Retreating crowd overcome by sailor’s nasty drop
- American guy requiring doctor – it’s potentially devastating
- Muscle holds back mafia killer
- Mum finally in a hairstyle that could be a deterrent
- Mob uprising contained by a low-grade explosive
- Nuclear device found inside a Bombay duck
- Destructive device in Bandra, Bombay
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "could be a deterrent" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case could be a deterrent = a-bomb.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.