The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word ELAPSING
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
E
L
A
P
S
I
N
G
More clues leading to the result ELAPSING
- Passing light over pipe
- Passing wind, single dad goes back inside
- Passing round drinks at home for example
- Turn of partner to err — for example, about passing
- Passing within three laps, in general
- Passing of time with pleasing novel
- Turn pale and squeal upon expiring
- Light rising piece of music gliding away
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Passing" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case passing = elapsing.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 ELAPSING mean?
ELAPSING verb- (of time) To pass or move by.