The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word DOLED
D
O
L
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D
More clues leading to the result DOLED
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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 DOLED mean?
DOLED verb- To distribute in small amounts; to share out small portions of a meager resource.