The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word WRESTLING
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
W
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More clues leading to the result WRESTLING
- Sport for which girls went mad
- Fighting faction holding line after period of inactivity
- Pulling across lake in sport
- Fighting others left in faction
- Grappling with remaining plant
- Stay left in a group sport
- Fighting others left in building section
- Putting up a fight with Sterling playing
- Fighting and winning over lady
- Lying Liberal stops supporting women’s sport
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Putting up a fight" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case putting up a fight = wrestling.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 WRESTLING mean?
WRESTLING verb- To contend, with an opponent, by grappling and attempting to throw, immobilize or otherwise defeat him, depending on the specific rules of the contest
- To struggle or strive
- To take part in a wrestling match with someone
- To move or lift something with difficulty
- To throw a calf etc in order to brand it
- To fight.
- A sport where two opponents attempt to subdue each other in bare-handed grappling using techniques of leverage, holding, and pressure points.
- A professional tumbling act that emulates the sport of wrestling. Also called "professional wrestling". It is distinguished from sport wrestling — which has strict internationally recognized rules and is conducted on a mat — by being scripted, rehearsed, conducted in a boxing ring rather than on a mat, and televised as entertainment.
- The act of one who wrestles; a struggle to achieve something.