The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word EXPENSIVE
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
E
X
P
E
N
S
I
V
E
More clues leading to the result EXPENSIVE
- Former partner, thoughtful and dear
- Dear wife, perhaps, once thoughtful
- Dear old writer’s English verse I recalled
- Dear old husband maybe mulling things over
- Dear one left dreamy
- The writer’s twice following old dear
- Dear former lover deep in thought
- Drug’s ten pounds? Even divvied, it’s pricey
- Almost vexed with penis enhancement, dear?
- Dear old flame and VIP seen dancing
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Dear" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case dear = expensive.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 EXPENSIVE mean?
EXPENSIVE adjective- Given to expending a lot of money; profligate, lavish.
- Having a high price or cost.
- Taking a lot of system time or resources.