Cryptic crossword clue
Seal accepted a lot of money for getting close and personal 9

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

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

The straight part
We know that "getting close and personal" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case getting close and personal = clinching.
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 CLINCHING mean?

CLINCHING verb
  1. To clasp; to interlock.
  2. To make certain; to finalize.
  3. To fasten securely or permanently.
  4. To bend and hammer the point of (a nail) so it cannot be removed.
  5. To embrace passionately.
  6. To hold firmly; to clench.
  7. To set closely together; to close tightly.
CLINCHING noun
  1. A clinch; a passionate embrace.
  2. A making certain or finalizing.
  3. The distortion of computer tape by wrinkling.
CLINCHING adjective
  1. That settles something (such as an argument) definitely and conclusively

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