Cryptic crossword clue
Animals we say are no better than Tom and his ilk 8

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word MEERKATS

I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
M
E
E
R
K
A
T
S

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Animals" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case animals = meerkats.
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 MEERKATS mean?

MEERKATS noun
  1. Suricata suricatta, a small carnivorous mammal of the mongoose family, from the Kalahari Desert, known for its habit of standing on its hind legs.

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