The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word WAITING
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
W
A
I
T
I
N
G
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 WAITING mean?
WAITING verb- To delay movement or action until the arrival or occurrence of; to await. (Now generally superseded by “wait for”.)
- To delay movement or action until some event or time; to remain neglected or in readiness.
- To wait tables; to serve customers in a restaurant or other eating establishment.
- To attend on; to accompany; especially, to attend with ceremony or respect.
- To attend as a consequence; to follow upon; to accompany.
- To defer or postpone (especially a meal).
- To remain chaste while one's lover is unavailable.
- Watching.
- The act of staying or remaining in expectation.
- Attendance, service.