Cryptic crossword clue
One in two pubs writing about cruelty 9

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

I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
B
A
R
B
A
R
I
S
M

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "cruelty" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case cruelty = barbarism.
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 BARBARISM mean?

BARBARISM noun
  1. A barbaric act.
  2. The condition of existing barbarically.
  3. A word hybridizing Ancient Greek and Latin or other heterogeneous roots.
  4. An error in language use within a single word, such as a mispronunciation.

Latest crossword clues with full explanations