The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word SAVED
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
S
A
V
E
D
Buddy explains!

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 SAVED mean?
SAVED verb- To prevent harm or difficulty.
- To put aside, to avoid.
- Rescued from the consequences of sin.
- Retained for future use rather than spent e.g. ː"A penny saved is a penny earned."