The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word PITYING
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
P
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Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Looking witheringly/Looking witheringly" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case looking witheringly/looking witheringly = pitying.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 PITYING mean?
PITYING verb- To feel pity for (someone or something).
- To make (someone) feel pity; to provoke the sympathy or compassion of.
- The act of one who pities.