Cryptic crossword clue
Uncle, man lacking money and close to despair

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 10 letter word PAWNBROKER

I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
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The straight part
We know that "Uncle" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case uncle = pawnbroker.
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 PAWNBROKER mean?

PAWNBROKER noun
  1. A person who makes monetary loans at interest, taking personal property as security – which may be sold if not redeemed.

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