Cryptic crossword clue
Protection from opponents, church people hid in river 12

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 12 letter word ENTRENCHMENT

E
N
T
R
E
N
C
H
M
E
N
T

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Protection" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case protection = entrenchment.
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 ENTRENCHMENT mean?

ENTRENCHMENT noun
  1. The process of entrenching or something which entrenches
  2. A fortification constructed of trenches

Latest crossword clues with full explanations