The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word SAYONARA
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
S
A
Y
O
N
A
R
A
More clues leading to the result SAYONARA
- Perhaps beside a river, a vale to the East
- Leaving word out of essay on arachnophobia?
- Perhaps beside a river, a vale to the east?
- Declare — Lara heading off after leg bye
- Parting shot when backing that docked horse
- Keep silent, then hurried up with a goodbye
- 11 tell nothing new, e.g. “Mo Salah’s not British”
- Farewell to an American featured in essay on a raconteur
- Cuddling Nora sadly, utter a word of farewell
- For example, on air, I ignored a closing remark
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Leaving word" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case leaving word = sayonara.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 SAYONARA mean?
SAYONARA noun- An utterance of sayonara, the wishing of farewell to someone.
- (especially used when referring to Japan) Goodbye, adieu.