Cryptic crossword clue
Paints defeat mainly in scary liquid 8

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

I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
A
C
R
Y
L
I
C
S

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Paints" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case paints = acrylics.
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 ACRYLICS mean?

ACRYLICS noun
  1. An acrylic resin.
  2. A paint containing an acrylic resin.
  3. A painting executed using such a paint.
  4. A thick sheet of plastic.
  5. A liquid coating system based on an acrylic resin

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