The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word AQUACADE
I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
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More clues leading to the result AQUACADE
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The straight part
We know that "American diving exhibition" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case american diving exhibition = aquacade.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 AQUACADE mean?
AQUACADE noun- An entertainment consisting of swimmers and divers performing to music