What does the cryptic crossword clue "Poor-sounding judge makes a mark (9)" mean?

The definition is "mark". The wordplay uses a homophone (sounds like). For us non-rhotics, DIA sounds like DIRE, so is poor sounding. A judge is a CRITIC. The whole is a mark such as an accent or a cedilla. The answer is DIACRITIC.

Poor-sounding judge makes a mark (9)

Times Cryptic #28822 | 25 Across | 2024-01-25 flower

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