The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word MULTITUDE
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More clues leading to the result MULTITUDE
Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "crowd" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case crowd = multitude.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 MULTITUDE mean?
MULTITUDE noun- A great amount or number, often of people; abundance, myriad, profusion.
- The mass of ordinary people; the masses, the populace.