Cryptic crossword clue
Nasty trap hidden by merciless villain 7

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

I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
M
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G
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Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Nasty" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case nasty = minging.
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.

Crossword Answer definitions

MINGING adjective
  1. Unattractive or repulsive.
  2. Unclean or dirty.

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