Cryptic crossword clue
Washing a lion, tub gets smashed 8

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word ABLUTION

I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
A
B
L
U
T
I
O
N

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Washing" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case washing = ablution.
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 ABLUTION mean?

ABLUTION noun
  1. The act of washing something.
  2. The liquid used in the cleansing or ablution.
  3. The ritual consumption by the deacon or priest of leftover sacred wine of host after the Communion.
  4. The location or building where the showers and basins are located.

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