The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word AUTUMNAL
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
A
U
T
U
M
N
A
L
More clues leading to the result AUTUMNAL
- Network shared brief, upsetting showing of The Fall of Atlanta
- 50% of almond nuts briefly turn gold, at first like falling leaves
- Trade union blocks manual working in a particular part of the year
- Plan mutual lifts without constraints after the season
- Lasting three months beyond the prime?
- Seasonal?
- Aunt injured with a partial lump in fall
- Plan mutual investment return around October
- A mutual arrangement covering some nitty-gritties of the fall
- Concerning fall in America as investment in Venezuelan mutual rising
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "like falling leaves" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case like falling leaves = autumnal.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does AUTUMNAL mean?
AUTUMNAL adjective- Of or relating to autumn.
- Past the middle of life; in the third stage.