Cryptic crossword clue
Lawman, it’s said, puts down government supporters 9

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word LOYALISTS

I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
L
O
Y
A
L
I
S
T
S

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "government /s/u/pporters" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case government /s/u/pporters = loyalists.
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 LOYALISTS mean?

LOYALISTS noun
  1. A person who is loyal to a cause, generally used as a political affiliation.

Latest crossword clues with full explanations