The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word MOLIÈRE
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
M
O
L
I
Ã
ˆ
R
E
More clues leading to the result MOLIÈRE
- Dramatist, English writer, penning story
- French dramatist further encapsulating story
- Story parts added for playwright
- Story inspired by greater dramatist
- Dramatist setting story in Rome, surprisingly
- French playmaker again protects position of ball
- French writer‘s story set in the ruins of Rome
- French writer again penning story
- Playwright with greater story inside
- Story penned by more comedic French playwright
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "French playmaker" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case french playmaker = moliÈre.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.