The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 11 letter word MASTERPIECE
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
M
A
S
T
E
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P
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C
E
More clues leading to the result MASTERPIECE
- To defeat hunk is an outstanding achievement
- Recipes with meat in a stew, tour de force
- Thoroughly learn something for party that is of top quality
- Musical composition by college principal, a tour de force
- Man supporting college principal’s work of art
- What a musician should do before playing it
- Great work in spare time transformed church
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "an outstanding achievement" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case an outstanding achievement = masterpiece.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 MASTERPIECE mean?
MASTERPIECE noun- A piece of work that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career.
- A work of outstanding creativity, skill or workmanship.
- A work created in order to qualify as a master craftsman and member of a guild.