Cryptic crossword clue
Snake in river rank, a source of irritation 12

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 12 letter word EXASPERATING

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

The straight part
We know that "a source of irritation" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case a source of irritation = exasperating.
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 EXASPERATING mean?

EXASPERATING verb
  1. To tax the patience of, irk, frustrate, vex, provoke, annoy; to make angry.
EXASPERATING adjective
  1. That exasperates, infuriates, annoys or irritates

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