Cryptic crossword clue
Periods in which wandering ant makes no progress 9

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

I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
S
T
A
G
N
A
T
E
S

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "makes no progress" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case makes no progress = stagnates.
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 STAGNATES mean?

STAGNATES verb
  1. To cease motion, activity, or progress:

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