Cryptic crossword clue
Friend due to run wild without one, like Oliver Twist? 8

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word UNDERFED

I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
U
N
D
E
R
F
E
D

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "like Oliver Twist" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case like oliver twist = underfed.
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 UNDERFED mean?

UNDERFED adjective
  1. Inadequately fed.
UNDERFED verb
  1. To feed inadequately or insufficiently

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