The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word STRUGGLE
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
S
T
R
U
G
G
L
E
More clues leading to the result STRUGGLE
- Labour pains
- Try hard to fix legs holding gardener’s basket
- Fight statute left in much of team sport
- German government put in control after street fight
- It’s not easy going on vacation in turbulent Ulster
- Battle in street leading to goods impounded by law
- Make an effort to invest time in training slugger
- Fight to get horse placed in disputed result
- Fight saint on mat with broken leg
- Battle horse participates in street dash
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Labour/pains" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case labour/pains = struggle.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 STRUGGLE mean?
STRUGGLE noun- A contortion of the body in an attempt to escape or to perform a difficult task.
- Strife, contention, great effort.
- To strive, to labour in difficulty, to fight (for or against), to contend.
- To strive, or to make efforts, with a twisting, or with contortions of the body.