Cryptic crossword clue
Carnal knowledge in it upset American shop-owner 8

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

I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
I
N
T
I
M
A
C
Y

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Carnal knowledge" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case carnal knowledge = intimacy.
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 INTIMACY mean?

INTIMACY noun
  1. Feeling or atmosphere of closeness and openness towards someone else, not necessarily involving sexuality.
  2. Intimate relationship.
  3. (especially plural) Intimate detail, (item of) intimate information.

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