The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word GASPS
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
G
A
S
P
S
More clues leading to the result GASPS
- Pants son's wearing split more than once
- Pants Penny’s wearing droop when pulled up
- He possibly pilfers skirts and pants
- Short pants
- Pants with holes around back of knees
- Maybe oxygen starts to prevent such?
- Crack’s seen around top of short pants
- Clothes shop’s carrying small pants
- Has difficulty in breathing in vapour that’s extremely poisonous
- Sharply inhales vapour, by the way
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "pants" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case pants = gasps.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 GASPS mean?
GASPS noun- A short, sudden intake of breath.
- : A draw or drag on a cigarette (or gasper).
- To draw in the breath suddenly, as if from a shock.
- To breathe laboriously or convulsively.
- To speak in a breathless manner.
- To pant with eagerness; to show vehement desire.