The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word REGICIDE
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
R
E
G
I
C
I
D
E
More clues leading to the result REGICIDE
- Rocky ridge with ice is a killer
- Detectives replacing male in regime, doing away with top man
- Crime fatal for victim that’s not common
- Bosanquet’s team announced king’s downfall
- King’s murderer here in France beset by terrible greed
- Something on plate that is cut by officers investigating butcher
- One’s wasted a sovereign
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "doing away with top man" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case doing away with top man = regicide.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 REGICIDE mean?
REGICIDE noun- The killing of a king.
- One who kills a king.