The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word PHANTOM
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
P
H
A
N
T
O
M
More clues leading to the result PHANTOM
- Ghost in Christmas show capturing hearts? Marley's head
- Vision of men abandoning parentless cat
- Ghost wandering around Hampton
- Fictitious horse in seasonal performance, male
- Boy who’s lost both parents, or lacking sight of one of them?
- Pub cat underneath an expensive car
- It’s said cool cat doesn’t exist
- Husband in Christmas show, male ghost
- Cat lover, so it’s said, first to describe spirit
- Spook horse in show with mike
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "shadowy figure" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case shadowy figure = phantom.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 PHANTOM mean?
PHANTOM noun- A ghost or apparition.
- Something apparently seen, heard, or sensed, but having no physical reality; an image that appears only in the mind; an illusion or delusion.
- A placeholder for a pair of players when there are an odd number of pairs playing.
- (medical imaging) A test object.
- Illusive.
- Fictitious or nonexistent.