The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word ESCAPEES
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
E
S
C
A
P
E
E
S
More clues leading to the result ESCAPEES
- Fugitives better stopping close to trouble spots
- They’re using key copies to get outside jailhouse finally?
- SS surrounding point to get runaways
- They got away with space hopping and cycling experience
- Bats see space and they take flight
- Runaways head in four directions
- Look back on space travelling — they’re off!
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Fugitives" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case fugitives = escapees.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 ESCAPEES mean?
ESCAPEES noun- Someone who has become free through escaping imprisonment.
- Someone who has escaped.
- A plant that has escaped from cultivation.