Cryptic crossword clue
Poor deal with a sect increased in scale 9

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

I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
E
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Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "increased in scale" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case increased in scale = escalated.
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 ESCALATED mean?

ESCALATED verb
  1. To increase (something) in extent or intensity; to intensify or step up.
  2. In technical support, to transfer a customer, a problem, etc. to the next higher level of authority

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