Cryptic crossword clue
Punch Ben feels barkeeper essentially makes weak

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

I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
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Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "makes weak" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case makes weak = enfeebles.
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 ENFEEBLES mean?

ENFEEBLES verb
  1. To make feeble.

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