The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word ALLEGORY
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
A
L
L
E
G
O
R
Y
More clues leading to the result ALLEGORY
- Completely grisly setting for end of detective story?
- Ecstasy within completely horrific symbolism
- Totally grisly, gripping end to macabre tale
- Friend absorbs for example soldier’s symbolic narration
- Completely grisly setting for end of Poe story
- Fitzgerald returned with grisly tale
- Moral tale of a parrot holding the stage
- Really upset about travel metaphor, perhaps
- Female finally in extremely bloody parable
- Parable of galley rowed unyoked at sea
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "story?" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case story? = allegory.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 ALLEGORY mean?
ALLEGORY noun- The representation of abstract principles by characters or figures.
- A picture, book, or other form of communication using such representation.
- A symbolic representation which can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, usually a moral or political one.
- A category that retains some of the structure of the category of binary relations between sets, representing a high-level generalisation of that category.