The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word TACITURN
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
T
A
C
I
T
U
R
N
More clues leading to the result TACITURN
- Whip raised, I go for mum
- Understood piece of pottery is reserved
- Withdrawn train cut for engineering work?
- Antisocial cat comes back and I go off
- One unpleasant woman backing revolution, not saying much
- Quiet, considerate attitude about one funerary ornament
- Understood vase is rarely open
- The first to twitch curtain is weirdly antisocial
- Silent act I developed with short performance
- Disinclined to speak of it with Bill going into shock
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Disinclined to speak" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case disinclined to speak = taciturn.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 TACITURN mean?
TACITURN adjective- Silent; temperamentally untalkative; disinclined to speak.