The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word ASPHYXIA
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
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More clues leading to the result ASPHYXIA
- When a Greek character enters clutching axes, it’s breathtaking
- It’s a breathtaking experience
- Stoppage of vital functions — heard about cure in the East?
- It really is a breathtaking experience
- Result of drowning, perhaps, a damaged ship carrying couple of axes before commencement of accident
- High pay has winning team providing a breathless experience?
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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 ASPHYXIA mean?
ASPHYXIA noun- Loss of consciousness due to the interruption of breathing and consequent anoxia.
- Loss of consciousness due to the body's inability to deliver oxygen to its tissues, either by the breathing of air lacking oxygen or by the inability of the blood to carry oxygen.
- A condition in which an extreme decrease in the concentration of oxygen in the body leads to loss of consciousness or death. Replaced in the mid-20th century by the more specific terms anoxia, hypoxia, hypoxemia and hypercapnia.