The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word FREEZE-UP
I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
F
R
E
E
Z
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U
P
More clues leading to the result FREEZE-UP
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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 FREEZE-UP mean?
FREEZE-UP noun- The blocking of pipes due to freezing.