Cryptic crossword clue
Verbally criticise act — it may be part of the service 7

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

I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
N
O
C
T
U
R
N

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "part of the service" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case part of the service = nocturn.
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 NOCTURN mean?

NOCTURN noun
  1. The night office of the Christian liturgy of the Hours, such as is performed in monasteries.
  2. A portion of the psalter used during nocturns.

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