The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word ADEPTLY
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
A
D
E
P
T
L
Y
More clues leading to the result ADEPTLY
- Plug record on telly, regularly showing proficiency
- Cleverly lay around outside office
- A delicate pregnant lady’s clothing displayed with skill
- Notice and see about small point capably
- Pet lady trained with skill
- Play Ted reviewed with expertise
- Skilfully shows a department's extreme lunacy
- Suitably pinching, heartlessly done with skill
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "showing proficiency" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case showing proficiency = adeptly.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.