Crossword Genius

Prepared target within second year for long-term plan (8)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

strategy

'long-term plan' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)

'prepared target within second year' is the wordplay.
'prepared' indicates an anagram.
'within' means one lot of letters goes inside another.
'second' becomes 's' (common abbreviation).
'year' becomes 'y'.
'target' anagrammed gives 'trateg'.
's'+'y'='sy'
'trateg' placed within 'sy' is 'STRATEGY'.

'for' acts as a link.

(Other definitions for strategy that I've seen before include "Plan or policy to achieve something" , "manoeuvres" , "Plan for achieving a particular long-term aim" , "Systematic plan of action" , "Art of military planning" .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.
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