The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word DEATHBED
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
D
E
A
T
H
B
E
D
More clues leading to the result DEATHBED
Buddy explains!
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 DEATHBED mean?
DEATHBED noun- The bed on which someone dies.
- The last hours before death.