Cryptic crossword clue
Seaman, say, hemmed in by land is giving up 10

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 10 letter word ABNEGATION

I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
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The straight part
We know that "giving up" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case giving up = abnegation.
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 ABNEGATION mean?

ABNEGATION noun
  1. A denial; a renunciation; denial of desire or self-interest.

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