What does the cryptic crossword clue "Published five books on European defeat at the polls (7)" mean?

The definition is "defeat at the polls". The wordplay uses a charade (building blocks). OUT (synonym of "Published") + V (abbreviation of "five") + OT (synonym of "books") + E (synonym of "European"); definition: "defeat at the polls" The answer is OUTVOTE.

Published five books on European defeat at the polls (7)

Guardian Cryptic #29307 | 2 Down | 2024-02-16 flower

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