Cryptic crossword clue
Praises athletics supremo over pocketing a smaller sum 7

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word BLESSES

I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
B
L
E
S
S
E
S

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Praises" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case praises = blesses.
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 BLESSES mean?

BLESSES verb
  1. To make something holy by religious rite, sanctify.
  2. To make the sign of the cross upon, so as to sanctify.
  3. To invoke divine favor upon.
  4. To honor as holy, glorify; to extol for excellence.
  5. To esteem or account happy; to felicitate.
  6. To wave; to brandish.
  7. (past tense only blessed) To turn (a reference) into an object.
  8. (with from) To secure, defend, or prevent from.

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