How do I solve 23 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31272?

Question

Accepted Answer

23 across reads "Part of a score that's the same either way" (5 letters); the answer is MINIM. It's a cryptic definition: the whole clue is a playful or punny description of the answer. No wordplay decomposition to do — read laterally and identify what's being described. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

Part of a score that's the same either way (5)

23A — Part of a score that's the same either way (5) — MINIM