Cryptic crossword clue
Sprinter initially slow, apparently unlikely to fade 7

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word SUNFAST

I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
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The straight part
We know that "unlikely to fade" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case unlikely to fade = sunfast.
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 SUNFAST mean?

SUNFAST adjective
  1. Colorfast in a way that will not fade in sunlight.

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