The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word NAEVI
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
N
A
E
V
I
More clues leading to the result NAEVI
- Northern girl trapping extremely active moles, perhaps
- Spots the writer’s article being withdrawn
- Io has a name for shooting up marks
- Spots often associated with port wine or sparkling Évian
- Russian turned up to frame European moles
- Blemishes reversed in effective analysis
- Vain characters squeeze middle of their spots
- . Birthmarks? I have a number all over
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "marks" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case marks = naevi.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 NAEVI mean?
NAEVI noun- A pigmented, raised or otherwise abnormal area on the skin. Naevi may be congenital or acquired, and are always benign.