Cryptic crossword clue
Criminal ball boy stealing duke’s nightgown 8

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word BABYDOLL

I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
B
A
B
Y
D
O
L
L

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "nightgown" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case nightgown = babydoll.
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 BABYDOLL mean?

BABYDOLL noun
  1. A child's doll designed to look like a baby.
  2. A young attractive woman; sweetheart, darling.
  3. A style of women's nightdress.

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