The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word SHERIFF
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
S
H
E
R
I
F
F
More clues leading to the result SHERIFF
- Quiet force keeps returning fire for officer
- Law enforcer repeated phrase on book
- Book half of rabble, as lawman
- Singular lady's providing force for lawman
- Improvise with novel law officer
- Officer repeated phrase after woman
- Female erupts with anger about husband — that’s flipping official
- Lawman may be fresh if in trouble
- Lawman, quiet and strong, accepts rising heat
- Officer shoots back, engaging hard force
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Lawman" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case lawman = sheriff.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 SHERIFF mean?
SHERIFF noun- (except Scotland) (High Sheriff) An official of a shire or county office, responsible for carrying out court orders, law enforcement and other duties.
- A judge in the sheriff court, the court of a county or sheriffdom.
- A government official, usually responsible for law enforcement in his county and for administration of the county jail, sometimes an officer of the court, usually elected.
- To carry out the duties of a sheriff