The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word BALANCED
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
B
A
L
A
N
C
E
D
More clues leading to the result BALANCED
- Objective of criminal carrying weapon
- Weapon criminal holds level
- Impartial graduate stuck in conflict?
- Weapon housed in rotten stable
- Auntie is supposedly wrong to conceal weapon
- Stable provides unsatisfactory cover for weapon
- Clean out rotten blankets in stable
- A clan involved in plot must be fair
- Left dance drunk after graduate fair
- Objective of man, 100 — to stay in bed!
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "fair" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case fair = balanced.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 BALANCED mean?
BALANCED verb- To bring (items) to an equipoise, as the scales of a balance by adjusting the weights.
- To make (concepts) agree.
- To hold (an object or objects) precariously; to support on a narrow base, so as to keep from falling.
- To compare in relative force, importance, value, etc.; to estimate.
- (dancing) To move toward, and then back from, reciprocally.
- To contract, as a sail, into a narrower compass.
- To make the credits and debits of (an account) correspond.
- To be in equilibrium.
- To have matching credits and debits.
- To weigh in a balance.
- To hesitate or fluctuate.
- Containing elements in appropriate proportion; proportionately weighted on all dimensions and therefore unlikely to tip over.