The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 4 letter word WADE
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
W
A
D
E
More clues leading to the result WADE
- Ford mass produce at last
- Reporter’s measured progress through water
- With difficulty, progress measured, we hear?
- Wimbledon winner, English, on roll
- Former tennis champ put on the scales, we hear
- Walk in water in Washington delta/estuary initially
- Move laboriously with fruit drink
- Reportedly contemplated walk through deep water
- What some birds do in Virginia for sport
Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Ford" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case ford = wade.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 WADE mean?
WADE noun- An act of wading.
- A ford; a place to cross a river.
- To walk through water or something that impedes progress.
- To progress with difficulty
- To walk through (water or similar impediment); to pass through by wading
- To enter recklessly.
- The plant Isatis tinctoria.
- The blue dye made from the leaves of the plant.