The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word THORNIEST
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
T
H
O
R
N
I
E
S
T
More clues leading to the result THORNIEST
- Nth sortie amazingly and the most difficult?
- Most awkward deity one found in home
- Old god, home looking after number one, is most difficult
- Wild rhino held in check — most difficult to handle
- Model superlatively lusty: most problematic
- Most troublesome, riots then breaking out
- Most difficult ordeal, tackling angry rhino
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "most difficult" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case most difficult = thorniest.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 THORNIEST mean?
THORNIEST adjective- Having thorns or spines
- Troublesome or vexatious
- Aloof and irritable