The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word ISAAC
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
I
S
A
A
C
More clues leading to the result ISAAC
- Biblical character represents Adam oddly, and Charlie
- Patriarch lives with one about to get up
- Two places to save a designated victim
- Man using current account to cover appeal
- Biblical character in short, Abraham's able child, originally
- An investment account one almost sacrificed
- Man’s savings scheme account
- Child nearly sacrificed? There are differing accounts
- One article put in bag, not the last for boy
- Jacob’s father lives with a retired accountant
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "One of three patriarchs" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case one of three patriarchs = isaac.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.