Cryptic crossword clue
Possibly fine writer with a story enthralling son 8

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word PENALISE

I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
P
E
N
A
L
I
S
E

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Possibly fine" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case possibly fine = penalise.
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 PENALISE mean?

PENALISE verb
  1. To subject to a penalty, especially for the infringement of a rule or regulation.
  2. To impose a handicap on.

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