The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word HYPNOTIST
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
H
Y
P
N
O
T
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S
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Buddy explains!

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 HYPNOTIST mean?
HYPNOTIST noun- A person who uses hypnotism to induce hypnosis in someone, either for entertainment or therapy.