The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 plus 2 letter word ROPES IN
I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
R
O
P
E
S
I
N
More clues leading to the result ROPES IN
- . Enlists searcher exposed over offence
- Unwillingly involves person I sacked
- Enlists misanthrope sinking bottles
- Enlists most of the others without work at home
- Persuades to take part, needing weapon on board ahead of crime
- Enlists awkward person, the first person to be nabbed
- Pinero’s play persuades one to take part
- Lures to moor for crime, ...
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Enlists" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case enlists = ropes in.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.