The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 4 plus 6 letter word IRON MAIDEN
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
I
R
O
N
M
A
I
D
E
N
More clues leading to the result IRON MAIDEN
- Press, first alternative to rack?
- Heavy metal band is torture for this prime minister
- The young Thatcher’s terrible means of punishment?
- Group involved in torture?
- Possibly die in Roman instrument of torture
- Metal group‘s press people accepting help
- Presswoman in a suit, very sharp underneath the surface
- More Indian cooking that’s responsible for stabbing pains?
- Relief in strong competitors? That was designed to be torture!
- Band providing box for the Prince of Wallachia?
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "alternative to rack" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case alternative to rack = iron maiden.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.