Cryptic crossword clue
Queen has to struggle, cutting navy back with less assurance 7

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word NERVIER

I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
N
E
R
V
I
E
R

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "with less assurance" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case with less assurance = nervier.
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 NERVIER mean?

NERVIER adjective
  1. Having nerve; bold; brazen.
  2. Feeling nervous, anxious or agitated.
  3. Strong; sinewy.
  4. Jittery; having unwanted signal characteristics.

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