What does the cryptic crossword clue "Harden, if held captive by authoritarian, blowing top (6)" mean?

The definition is "Harden,". The wordplay uses a container (one word inside another). IF (synonym="IF") in OSSY (synonym="authoritarian") = OSSIFY; definition: "Harden," The answer is OSSIFY.

Harden, if held captive by authoritarian, blowing top (6)

Guardian Cryptic #28981 | 20 Down | 2023-01-31 flower

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