The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 6 letter word CANARD
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
C
A
N
A
R
D
More clues leading to the result CANARD
- False report an eccentric circulates
- Quirky person swallowing an unfounded rumour
- 24‘s tale
- Unfounded rumour of bird having tail cut off by daughter
- Look over firm without starting false rumour
- False report an eccentric put about
- Norman’s bird providing fake news
- Article in comic is only a rumour
- False rumour about duke spread around
- Joker perhaps filing an untrue report
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "False report" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case false report = canard.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 CANARD mean?
CANARD noun- A false or misleading report or story, especially if deliberately so.
- A type of aircraft in which the primary horizontal control and stabilization surfaces are in front of the main wing.
- Any small winglike structure on a vehicle, usually used for stabilization.