Cryptic crossword clue
Queen finishes in tears 5

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word RENDS

I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
R
E
N
D
S

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "tears" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case tears = rends.
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 RENDS mean?

RENDS verb
  1. To separate into parts with force or sudden violence; to split; to burst
  2. To part or tear off forcibly; to take away by force; to amputate.
  3. To be rent or torn; to become parted; to separate; to split.

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