Cryptic crossword clue
To be given a bye is best of all 9

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word UNMATCHED

I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
U
N
M
A
T
C
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E
D

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "best of all" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case best of all = unmatched.
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 UNMATCHED mean?

UNMATCHED verb
  1. To separate a matching pair.
UNMATCHED adjective
  1. (of a pair of things) not matched; odd
  2. (of a single thing) not matched with anything else
  3. Peerless; unrivalled; beyond comparison

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