Cryptic crossword clue
Try to hold love down, likely to fail 11

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 11 letter word FLOUNDERING

I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
F
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Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "likely to fail" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case likely to fail = floundering.
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 FLOUNDERING mean?

FLOUNDERING verb
  1. To flop around as a fish out of water.
  2. To make clumsy attempts to move or regain one's balance.
  3. To act clumsily or confused; to struggle or be flustered.
  4. To be in serious difficulty.
FLOUNDERING noun
  1. The act of one who flounders; a clumsy struggle.

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