Cryptic crossword clue
Divorce, swapping partners? Surely not! 5

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word NEVER

I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
N
E
V
E
R


Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Surely not" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case surely not = never.
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 NEVER mean?

NEVER adverb
  1. At no time; on no occasion; in no circumstance.
  2. Not at any other time; not on any other occasion; not previously.
  3. Negative particle (used to negate verbs in the simple past tense; also used absolutely).

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