Cryptic crossword clue
Thwarted potential immodesty as method of working’s abandoned

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

I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
S
T
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M
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Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Thwarted" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case thwarted = stymied.
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 STYMIED mean?

STYMIED verb
  1. To thwart or stump; to cause to fail or to leave hopelessly puzzled, confused, or stuck.
  2. To bring into the position of, or impede by, a stymie.

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