The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word PHYSIQUE
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
P
H
Y
S
I
Q
U
E
More clues leading to the result PHYSIQUE
Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "figure" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case figure = physique.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 PHYSIQUE mean?
PHYSIQUE noun- The natural constitution, or physical structure, of a person.
- The trained muscular structure of a person's body.