Cryptic crossword clue
Wall-building substance nearby penetrated by bullet when shelled from behind 9

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

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

The straight part
We know that "Wall-building substance" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case wall-building substance = cellulose.
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 CELLULOSE mean?

CELLULOSE noun
  1. A complex carbohydrate that forms the main constituent of the cell wall in most plants and is important in the manufacture of numerous products, such as paper, textiles, pharmaceuticals, and explosives.
  2. A polysaccharide containing many glucose units in parallel chains.
CELLULOSE adjective
  1. Consisting of, or containing, cells.

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