Cryptic crossword clue
Behind time, second mate dashed around 7

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word BELATED

I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
B
E
L
A
T
E
D

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Behind time" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case behind time = belated.
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 BELATED mean?

BELATED verb
  1. To retard; cause something to be late; delay; benight.
BELATED adjective
  1. Later in relation to the proper time something should have happened.

Latest crossword clues with full explanations