The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 4 letter word MALE
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
M
A
L
E
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Man" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case man = male.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 MALE mean?
MALE noun- One of the male (masculine) sex or gender.
- Belonging to the sex which typically produces sperm, or to the gender which is typically associated with it.
- Characteristic of this sex/gender. (Compare masculine, manly.)
- Tending to lead to or regulate the development of sexual characteristics typical of this sex.
- (grammar, less common than 'masculine') Masculine; of the masculine grammatical gender.
- Of instruments, tools, or connectors: designed to fit into or penetrate a female counterpart, as in a connector, pipe fitting or laboratory glassware.