Cryptic crossword clue
Rather bleak victory, with lame finish in Test 7

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

I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
W
I
N
T
E
R
Y

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Rather bleak" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case rather bleak = wintery.
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 WINTERY mean?

WINTERY adjective
  1. Suggestive or characteristic of winter; cold, stormy.
  2. Of precipitation, containing sleet or snow.
  3. Aged, white-haired.
  4. Chilling, cheerless.

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