Cryptic crossword clue
Odd patrol behind rear of crowd making percussive sound 8

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word DRUMBEAT

I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
D
R
U
M
B
E
A
T

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "percussive sound" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case percussive sound = drumbeat.
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 DRUMBEAT mean?

DRUMBEAT noun
  1. The beating of a drum.
  2. The sound of a beating drum.
  3. (by extension) A repetitive beating sound.
  4. A driving force.

Latest crossword clues with full explanations