Cryptic crossword clue
Having lost bottle, topless racer veered before quitting 8

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

I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
U
N
N
E
R
V
E
D

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Having lost bottle" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case having lost bottle = unnerved.
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 UNNERVED mean?

UNNERVED verb
  1. To deprive of nerve, force, or strength; to weaken; to enfeeble.
  2. To make somebody nervous, upset, alarm, shake the resolve of.
UNNERVED adjective
  1. Deprived of courage, strength, confidence, self-control, etc

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