The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word SPLOTCH
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
S
P
L
O
T
C
H
More clues leading to the result SPLOTCH
- Mess made by quiet group in school
- Spot storyline with school setting
- Plan to have church following Saint Mark?
- Plan to plug school with messy mark
- Plan in school making a mark
- Mark’s scheme to infltrate school
- Southern chipotle cooked after cutting the end and top of it could make mess
- Map in school shows heavy discoloration
- Spot a small area near church
- Leo discarded photocells rendered unfit by a bit of discolouration
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "smear" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case smear = splotch.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 SPLOTCH mean?
SPLOTCH noun- An irregular-shaped spot or stain.
- To mark with splotches.