The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word SITUATES
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
S
I
T
U
A
T
E
S
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Places" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case places = situates.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 SITUATES mean?
SITUATES verb- To place on or into a physical location.
- To place or put into an intangible place or position, such as social, ethical, fictional, etc. Most commonly used adjectivally in past participle and often used figuratively.