Cryptic crossword clue
Good man joins other ranks backing ruler — it’s touching 8

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

I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
S
T
R
O
K
I
N
G

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "it’s touching" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case it’s touching = stroking.
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 STROKING mean?

STROKING verb
  1. To move one's hand or an object (such as a broom) along (a surface) in one direction.
  2. To hit the ball with the bat in a flowing motion.
  3. To give a finely fluted surface to.
  4. To row the stroke oar of.
STROKING noun
  1. The act by which something is stroked.
  2. The act of laying small gathers in cloth in regular order.

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