Cryptic crossword clue
Coastal inlets made by birds, a fifth as many initially 5

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word COVES

I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
C
O
V
E
S

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Coastal inlets" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case coastal inlets = coves.
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 COVES mean?

COVES noun
  1. A hollow in a rock; a cave or cavern.
  2. A concave vault or archway, especially the arch of a ceiling.
  3. A small coastal inlet, especially one having high cliffs protecting vessels from prevailing winds.
  4. A strip of prairie extending into woodland.
  5. A recess or sheltered area on the slopes of a mountain.
  6. The wooden roof of the stern gallery of an old sailing warship.
  7. A thin line, sometimes gilded, along a yacht's strake below deck level.
COVES noun
  1. (thieves' cant) A fellow; a man.
  2. A friend; a mate.

Latest crossword clues with full explanations