Cryptic crossword clue
Mostly mischievous war parties 5

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word IMPIS

I
M
P
I
S

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "war parties" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case war parties = impis.
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 IMPIS mean?

IMPIS noun
  1. A group of Zulu (or other Bantu) warriors; a detachment of armed men.

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