Cryptic crossword clue
Electrical device starts to adjust tension 19 fiddled with first 8

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word RHEOSTAT

I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
R
H
E
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T
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Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Electrical device" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case electrical device = rheostat.
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 RHEOSTAT mean?

RHEOSTAT noun
  1. An electrical resistor, with two terminals, whose resistance is continuously variable by moving a knob or slider.

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