The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 11 letter word ENTERTAINER
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
E
N
T
E
R
T
A
I
N
E
R
More clues leading to the result ENTERTAINER
- Register English church composer without top performer
- New internet era for performer
- Turn and board coach with second to go
- Diverting person from harbour: here he's abandoned, upset
- Showman, put in army in Ecuador, deserted
- Internet era ruined comic, perhaps
- Record single penned by hit Queen performer
- Record and somehow retain performer
- One looking for applause has to come in and earn it possibly
- Get in, thanks to not entirely passive actor, perhaps
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "One looking for applause has to come in and earn it possibly" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case one looking for applause has to come in and earn it possibly = entertainer.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 ENTERTAINER mean?
ENTERTAINER noun- A person who entertains others, esp. as a profession, as a singer, actor, presenter, dancer, musician, magician, comedian, etc.
- Someone who puts on a show for the entertainment or enjoyment of others.