The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word HEARTENS
H
E
A
R
T
E
N
S
More clues leading to the result HEARTENS
Buddy explains!

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 HEARTENS mean?
HEARTENS verb- To give heart to; to encourage, urge on, cheer, give confidence to.