The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word ABASE
I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
A
B
A
S
E
More clues leading to the result ABASE
- Oddly ignored Zambian seen as lower in rank
- Humble sailor, like slave, ultimately
- Lower a foot
- Humble home with acre in front
- Humble when introduced to Lincoln
- Lower one’s voice when speaking
- A sport in which ball is snatched away and put down
- Humble a graduate — she has no heart
- Lower a bed
- A military establishment put to shame
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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 ABASE mean?
ABASE verb- To lower, as in condition in life, office, rank, etc., so as to cause pain or hurt feelings; to degrade, to depress, to humble, to humiliate.
- To lower physically; to depress; to cast or throw down; to stoop.
- To lower in value, in particular by altering the content of alloys in coins; to debase.