Crossword Genius

Awfully mean, not embracing players leaving (11)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

abandonment

'leaving' is the definition.
(abandonment is a kind of leaving)

'awfully mean not embracing players' is the wordplay.
'awfully' indicates an anagram.
'embracing' indicates putting letters inside.
'players' becomes 'band' (group playing music).
'mean'+'not'='meannot'
'meannot' is an anagram of 'aonment'.
'aonment' going around 'band' is 'ABANDONMENT'.

(Other definitions for abandonment that I've seen before include "leaving" , "being neglected" , "Process of giving up completely" , "Act of desertion" , "surrender" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.
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