The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word STATELET
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
S
T
A
T
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More clues leading to the result STATELET
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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 STATELET mean?
STATELET noun- (sometimes derogatory) A very small nation-state, or a region that acts like a nation-state