The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 2 plus 7 letter word IN BETWEEN
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
I
N
B
E
T
W
E
E
N
More clues leading to the result IN BETWEEN
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "with others on each side" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case with others on each side = in between.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 IN BETWEEN mean?
IN BETWEEN adjective- Lying between; neither one thing nor the other.