Cryptic crossword clue
Grounds to restrain criminal

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

I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
T
E
R
R
A
I
N
S

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Grounds" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case grounds = terrains.
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 TERRAINS mean?

TERRAINS noun
  1. A single, distinctive rock formation; an area having a preponderance of a particular rock or group of rocks.
  2. An area of land or the particular features of it.

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