The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 6 letter word WASHED
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
W
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S
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Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "cancelled because of rain" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case cancelled because of rain = washed.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 WASHED mean?
WASHED verb- To clean with water.
- To move or erode by the force of water in motion.
- To separate valuable material (such as gold) from worthless material by the action of flowing water.
- To clean oneself with water.
- To cover with water or any liquid; to wet; to fall on and moisten.
- To move with a lapping or swashing sound; to lap or splash.
- To be eroded or carried away by the action of water.
- To be cogent, convincing; to withstand critique.
- To bear without injury the operation of being washed.
- To be wasted or worn away by the action of water, as by a running or overflowing stream, or by the dashing of the sea; said of road, a beach, etc.
- To cover with a thin or watery coat of colour; to tint lightly and thinly.
- To overlay with a thin coat of metal.
- To cause dephosphorization of (molten pig iron) by adding substances containing iron oxide, and sometimes manganese oxide.
- To pass (a gas or gaseous mixture) through or over a liquid for the purpose of purifying it, especially by removing soluble constituents.