What does the cryptic crossword clue "Fail when beginning to talk - it's hot air (7)" mean?

The definition is "hot air". The wordplay uses a charade (building blocks). BOMB (synonym="Fail") + AS (abbreviation="when") + T (first_letter="talk") = BOMBAST; definition: "hot air" The answer is BOMBAST.

Fail when beginning to talk - it's hot air (7)

Independent Cryptic #11662 | 1 Across | 2024-02-26 flower

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