The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 6 letter word SUFFIX
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
S
U
F
F
I
X
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "ending" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case ending = suffix.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 SUFFIX mean?
SUFFIX noun- (grammar) A morpheme added at the end of a word to modify the word's meaning.
- A subscript.
- A final segment of a string of characters.
- To append (something) to the end of something else.