The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word LAIRS
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
L
A
I
R
S
More clues leading to the result LAIRS
- Places to hide from landlords when penniless
- Diamonds stolen from landowner’s hiding places
- Left affected behaviour in places of refuge
- Retreats from Latin songs
- Liberal shows hiding places
- Enclosures for animals of landowners have no guard in the end
- Channel ultimately broadcasts retreats
- L
- Leader of lions exposes hideouts
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Places to hide" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case places to hide = lairs.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 LAIRS mean?
LAIRS noun- A place inhabited by a wild animal, often a cave or a hole in the ground.
- A shed or shelter for domestic animals.
- A place inhabited by a criminal or criminals, a superhero or a supervillain; a refuge, retreat, haven or hideaway.
- A bed or resting place.
- A grave; a cemetery plot.
- A bog; a mire.
- A person who dresses in a showy but tasteless manner and behaves in a vulgar and conceited way; a show-off.