The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word BAYED
B
A
Y
E
D
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Howled" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case howled = bayed.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 BAYED mean?
BAYED verb- To howl.
- To bark at; hence, to follow with barking; to bring or drive to bay.
- To pursue noisily, like a pack of hounds.
- Having a bay or bays.