The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word ASTERISKS
I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
A
S
T
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S
More clues leading to the result ASTERISKS
- Marks for special attention inefficiency, with cut leading to dangers
- Outlandish skits are s***!
- Some swearing, perhaps, as broken seats involve potential hazard
- When tense skier stumbles, beginning to see stars
- Stars gamble, filling poor seats
- Stars of the printed word
- Articles by the uncentred Hazards - they usually indicate omissions
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "***!" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case ***! = asterisks.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 ASTERISKS mean?
ASTERISKS noun- The symbol *.
- Something in the shape of or resembling the asterisk symbol.
- A blemish in an otherwise outstanding achievement.
- To mark or replace with an asterisk symbol (*); star.