The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 4 plus 5 letter word FREE AGENT
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
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More clues leading to the result FREE AGENT
- Force teenager to get changed? She can’t be forced
- He’s not bound to be complimentary and a decent fellow
- One’s not committed? Get an answer to this
- Frank, a refined chap, could be a bachelor
- He’s not bound to release a spy
- Following split, severe cut is introduced, one that’s unconstrained
- One under no compulsion to release spy
- Frank’s a toff, being his own boss
- Maverick teenager reformed after force at the start
- . He is not bound to release a man
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "could be a bachelor" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case could be a bachelor = free agent.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.