The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word PIGEONS
I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
P
I
G
E
O
N
S
Buddy explains!

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 PIGEONS mean?
PIGEONS noun- One of several birds of the family Columbidae, which consists of more than 300 species.
- The meat from this bird.
- A person who is a target or victim of a confidence game.
- Concern or responsibility.
- A pacifist, appeaser, an isolationist, a dove.
- To deceive with a confidence game.