The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 6 letter word KEENED
I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
K
E
E
N
E
D
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Moaned" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case moaned = keened.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 KEENED mean?
KEENED verb- To make cold, to sharpen.
- To utter a keen.
- To utter with a loud wailing voice or wordless cry.
- To mourn.