The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word ACROBATS
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
A
C
R
O
B
A
T
S
More clues leading to the result ACROBATS
- A guy carrying mug and small tumblers
- New broadcast leaves out 500 performers
- Circus folk wound cetacean surfacing
- Lithe performers in a musical entertaining mug
- A group of East Europeans carries black tumblers
- They contort themselves back to front, mammalian killer creatures that hang upside down
- Primarily all brave actors performing
- Jumble: coats, bra, tumblers
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Lithe performers" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case lithe performers = acrobats.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 ACROBATS mean?
ACROBATS noun- An athlete who performs acts requiring skill, agility and coordination.