Cryptic crossword clue
It’s not as bad as 16 but may cause tears, when shopping 5,6,6,2,3

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 plus 6 plus 6 plus 2 plus 3 letter word WORSE THINGS HAPPEN AT SEA

I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
W
O
R
S
E
T
H
I
N
G
S
H
A
P
P
E
N
A
T
S
E
A

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "It’s not as bad as 16" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case it’s not as bad as 16 = worse things happen at sea.
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.

Latest crossword clues with full explanations