The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word DUSTS
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
D
U
S
T
S
More clues leading to the result DUSTS
- Cleans with powders
- Perverse – boss’s son in detention daily does this
- Bends, pierces, shakes and sprinkles
- Attractive man returns around beginning of summer and cleans ...
- Sprinkles studs under reconstruction
- Cleans stallion up outside entrance to stable
- American, overwhelmed by withdrawal symptom, cleans up
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Cleans/powders" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case cleans/powders = dusts.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 DUSTS mean?
DUSTS noun- Fine particles
- The act of cleaning by dusting.
- The earth, as the resting place of the dead.
- The earthy remains of bodies once alive; the remains of the human body.
- Something worthless.
- A low or mean condition.
- Cash; money (in reference to gold dust).
- A disturbance or uproar.
- A totally disconnected set of points with a fractal structure.
- To remove dust from.
- To remove dust; to clean by removing dust.
- Of a bird, to cover itself in sand or dry, dusty earth.
- To spray or cover something with fine powder or liquid.
- To leave; to rush off.
- To reduce to a fine powder; to levigate.
- To kill or severely disable.