The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word LABIATE
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
L
A
B
I
A
T
E
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The straight part
We know that "Like sage and thyme" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case like sage and thyme = labiate.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 LABIATE mean?
LABIATE noun- A plant of the mint family (Labiatae)
- To labialize.
- Having lips or liplike parts.
- (of flowers such as the snapdragon) Having the corolla divided into two liplike parts.
- Of, or belonging to the mint family (Labiatae, now Lamiaceae).