The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word THRASHER
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
T
H
R
A
S
H
E
R
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "One's liable to hit" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case one's liable to hit = thrasher.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 THRASHER mean?
THRASHER noun- One who thrashes.
- Any of several New World passerine songbirds, of the genera Toxostoma, Allenia, Margarops, Oreoscoptes and Ramphocinclus in the family Mimidae, that have a long, downward-curved beak.
- A thresher shark.
- A fan of thrash metal music.