Cryptic crossword clue
Perhaps needing plates inserted, without force 9

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word TOOTHLESS

I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
T
O
O
T
H
L
E
S
S

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "without force" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case without force = toothless.
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 TOOTHLESS mean?

TOOTHLESS adjective
  1. Having no teeth.
  2. Weak; having no ability to enforce something.

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