The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word FAITHFUL
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
F
A
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T
H
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L
More clues leading to the result FAITHFUL
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Loyal" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case loyal = faithful.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 FAITHFUL mean?
FAITHFUL noun- (in the plural) The practicing members of a religion or followers of a cause.
- Someone or something that is faithful or reliable.
- Loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause.
- Having faith.
- Reliable; worthy of trust.
- Consistent with reality.
- Engaging in sexual relations only with one's spouse or long-term sexual partner.
- (mathematics) Injective in specific contexts, e.g. of representations in representation or functors in category theory.