The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word FIREBALLS
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
F
I
R
E
B
A
L
L
S
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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 FIREBALLS mean?
FIREBALLS noun- A ball of fire, especially one associated with an explosion.
- A meteor bright enough to cast shadows.
- A class of sailing dinghy with a single trapeze and a symmetrical spinnaker, sailed by a crew of two.
- A charge made of a disc-shaped bomb shell, with four sets of flames, at the top, bottom and on either side.
- A ball filled with combustibles to be thrown among enemies.