The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 4 plus 6 letter word FREE LIVING
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
F
R
E
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L
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Buddy explains!

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 FREE LIVING mean?
FREE LIVING adjective- (of an organism) That lives independently of other organisms rather than part of a symbiotic or parasitic relationship