The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word TRAPPED
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
T
R
A
P
P
E
D
More clues leading to the result TRAPPED
- Deceived, having leave withdrawn, broken by pressure
- Bottom edge of bat hit, caught
- Caught deputy to some extent on the retreat
- Leader of thieves reprimanded, being caught
- Tenor performed hip hop in a tight corner
- Caught priests involved in illegitimate trade
- Knocked sharply on front of this, cornered
- Man, taking blame quietly, was ambushed
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Caught" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case caught = trapped.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 TRAPPED mean?
TRAPPED verb- To physically capture, to catch in a trap or traps, or something like a trap.
- To ensnare; to take by stratagem; to entrap.
- To provide with a trap.
- To set traps for game; to make a business of trapping game
- To leave suddenly, to flee.
- To sell illegal drugs, especially in a public area.
- To capture (e.g. an error) in order to handle or process it.
- To attend to and open and close a (trap-)door.
- To dress with ornaments; to adorn (especially said of horses).
- Caught in a trap