Cryptic crossword clue
One way to get 30 American instead of English cows 9

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word THREATENS

I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
T
H
R
E
A
T
E
N
S

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "cows /cows" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case cows /cows = threatens.
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 THREATENS mean?

THREATENS verb
  1. To make a threat against someone; to use threats.
  2. To menace, or be dangerous.
  3. To portend, or give a warning of.
  4. To be close to equaling or surpassing (a record, etc.)

Latest crossword clues with full explanations