What does the cryptic crossword clue "It may be close to the church, or a serious distance (9)" mean?

The definition is "serious distance". The wordplay uses a charade (building blocks). GRAVE (synonym="serious") + YARD (synonym="distance") = GRAVEYARD The answer is GRAVEYARD.

It may be close to the church, or a serious distance (9)

Guardian Cryptic #29256 | 28 Across | 2023-12-18 flower

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