The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word YONKS
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
Y
O
N
K
S
More clues leading to the result YONKS
- A thousand years ultimately after that — a long time
- Years later, returned blue coats
- Americans releasing article about old age
- Refusal accepted by broadcaster, going back a long time
- A long time in that state
- That knighthood’s taken a long time!
- After climbing, broadcaster screens running for ages
- An age is number to get blue about in retrospect
- Long time in that Midwest state
- Many years on in heaven, looking back
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "a long time" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case a long time = yonks.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 YONKS mean?
YONKS noun- A long time (especially a longer time than expected); ages