The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word EARNESTLY
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
E
A
R
N
E
S
T
L
Y
More clues leading to the result EARNESTLY
- Seriously premature, going round breeding ground
- Seriously, it’s too soon to hold retreat
- Seriously old walls in home
- Seriously primitive lodging house
- Seriously … New Year, let’s get smashed!
- Quick to adopt retreat with conviction
- Seriously, leaving home would be premature
- Primitive house breaks in a serious way
- Determinedly advanced to capture hideout
- In all honesty, home lay vacant after the flap
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "in a serious way" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case in a serious way = earnestly.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 EARNESTLY mean?
EARNESTLY adverb- In an earnest manner; being very sincere; putting forth genuine effort.