Cryptic crossword clue
O’Connor, left out of pursuit, removing unwanted coat 9

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word DESCALING

I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
D
E
S
C
A
L
I
N
G

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "removing unwanted coat" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case removing unwanted coat = descaling.
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

DESCALING verb
  1. To remove scale from the surface of a metal, especially from the inner surfaces of boilers etc.
  2. To remove the scales from a fish etc.
DESCALING noun
  1. The removal of scale from the surface of a metal, especially from the inner surfaces of boilers etc.

Latest crossword clues with full explanations