The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word CURTSEYED
C
U
R
T
S
E
Y
E
D
More clues leading to the result CURTSEYED
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "showed deference" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case showed deference = curtseyed.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 CURTSEYED mean?
CURTSEYED verb- To make a curtsey.