The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 6 letter word FLINCH
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
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More clues leading to the result FLINCH
- Bird seen round loch is quail
- Grosbeak, for one, seizes large quail
- Bird going round lake is quail
- Quail is a bird seen around lake
- Draw back and head of lion seized by bird
- Bird circling lake, quail
- Bird around lake is quail
- Songbird flying over lake – quail?
- Start from Florida and move slowly
- Quail’s Florida measure
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Quail" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case quail = flinch.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 FLINCH mean?
FLINCH noun- A reflexive jerking away.
- The slipping of the foot from a ball, when attempting to give a tight croquet.
- To make a sudden, involuntary movement in response to a (usually negative) stimulus; to cringe.
- To dodge (a question), to avoid an unpleasant task or duty
- To let the foot slip from a ball, when attempting to give a tight croquet.
- To strip the blubber or skin from, as from a whale, seal, etc.