Cryptic crossword clue
Out loud, not many will be encouraging 4

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 4 letter word FUEL

I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
F
U
E
L

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "be encouraging" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case be encouraging = fuel.
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 FUEL mean?

FUEL noun
  1. Substance consumed to provide energy through combustion, or through chemical or nuclear reaction.
  2. Substance that provides nourishment for a living organism; food.
  3. Something that stimulates, encourages or maintains an action.
FUEL verb
  1. To provide with fuel.
  2. To exacerbate, to cause to grow or become greater.

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