Cryptic crossword clue
Smart to know unknown work backwards - an infectious thing 10

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

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

The straight part
We know that "an infectious thing" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case an infectious thing = chickenpox.
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 CHICKENPOX mean?

CHICKENPOX noun
  1. A common childhood disease caused by the varicella zoster virus (VZV), Human alphaherpesvirus 3 (HHV-3).

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