The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 6 letter word SATINY
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
S
A
T
I
N
Y
More clues leading to the result SATINY
- Smooth and glossy metal drills for example
- Glossy container put in as an illustration
- Perhaps like 18‘s attractiveness and like 12?
- Smooth glass substitute? Upended reticule yields it
- Soft and smooth, perhaps, though containing metal
- Opinion offered about metal with a lustrous surface
- Lustrous metal state imports
- Fine composer docked next to big city
- Small and a little sleek
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Perhaps like 18" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case perhaps like 18 = satiny.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 SATINY mean?
SATINY adjective- Like satin, smooth and shiny, glossy.