Cryptic crossword clue
Lacking sun, an assortment loses moisture 5

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word DRIES

I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
D
R
I
E
S

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "loses moisture" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case loses moisture = dries.
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 DRIES mean?

DRIES noun
  1. The process by which something is dried.
  2. A prohibitionist (of alcoholic beverages).
  3. (with "the") The dry season.
  4. An area of waterless country.
  5. (UK politics) A radical or hard-line Conservative; especially, one who supported the policies of British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s.
DRIES verb
  1. To lose moisture.
  2. To remove moisture from.
  3. To be thirsty.
  4. To exhaust; to cause to run dry.
  5. For an actor to forget his or her lines while performing.

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