Giant antelope heading back over to probe rotting matter (9)
I believe the answer is:
humungous
'giant' is the definition.
'antelope heading back over to probe rotting matter' is the wordplay.
'antelope' becomes 'gnu' (gnu is a kind of antelope).
'heading back' is a reversal indicator.
'over' becomes 'o' (cricket abbreviation**).
'to probe' means one lot of letters goes inside another.
'rotting matter' becomes 'humus' (component of soil).
'gnu' in reverse letter order is 'ung'.
'ung'+'o'='ungo'
'ungo' going within 'humus' is 'HUMUNGOUS'.
I've seen this clue in The Independent.
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