Cryptic crossword clue
Sophisticated promotion? Very, with church included 8

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word ADVANCED

I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
A
D
V
A
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D

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Sophisticated" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case sophisticated = advanced.
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 ADVANCED mean?

ADVANCED verb
  1. To promote or advantage.
  2. To move forward in space or time.
  3. To raise, be raised.
ADVANCED adjective
  1. At or close to the state of the art.
  2. Enhanced.
  3. Having moved forward in time or space (e.g. advanced ignition timing).
  4. In a late stage of development; greatly developed beyond an initial stage.
  5. Pronounced farther to the front of the vocal tract.
  6. (Philippine English) (Of a clock or watch) Indicating a time ahead of the correct time.

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