The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word EARPLUGS
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
E
A
R
P
L
U
G
S
More clues leading to the result EARPLUGS
- Mufflers are incredibly soft on appropriate parts of the body
- Old West lawman carries personal protection
- Hears endless adverts? Not with these!
- They stop racket abuse – Sharapova temper finally blows
- Wyatt carries noise reduction
- Learner gears up in a contest with that which can improve concentration
- Pair of seals when swimming? Group not round seal at sea
- To block noise, sheriff covering those with these?
- Wild West sheriff carries silencers?
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Pair of seals when swimming" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case pair of seals when swimming = earplugs.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 EARPLUGS mean?
EARPLUGS noun- A piece of protective gear meant to be inserted in the ear canal to protect the wearer's hearing from loud noises or the intrusion of water.