Cryptic crossword clue
Right before exit, journalist deteriorated 9

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

I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
R
E
G
R
E
S
S
E
D

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "deteriorated" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case deteriorated = regressed.
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 REGRESSED mean?

REGRESSED verb
  1. To move backwards to an earlier stage; to devolve.
  2. To move from east to west.
  3. To perform a regression on an explanatory variable.
REGRESSED adjective
  1. That has been subject to regression

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