The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word OUTFOXED
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
O
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More clues leading to the result OUTFOXED
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Surpassed in guile — by Basil Brush" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case surpassed in guile — by basil brush = outfoxed.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 OUTFOXED mean?
OUTFOXED verb- To beat in a competition of wits