The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word TACTICIAN
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
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More clues leading to the result TACTICIAN
- Planner’s course of action Italian painter talked of
- I can act, it appears, cunningly?
- I can’t act stupidly around Independent strategist
- Diplomacy I preserve, hiding one master of war?
- Master of strategy showing diplomacy in charge of Scotsman
- Tasteless stuff Venetian artist announced, crafty fellow
- Course artist announced for planner
- Planner’s diplomacy before ruling on one article
- Strategic expert showing diplomacy in charge with Scotsman
- With dexterity, one can trap single strategist
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "I can act, it appears, cunningly" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case i can act, it appears, cunningly = tactician.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 TACTICIAN mean?
TACTICIAN noun- A person skilled in the planning and execution of tactics.