Cryptic crossword clue
Quiet individual excelled 5

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

I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
S
H
O
N
E

Buddy explains!

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

SHONE verb
  1. To emit light.
  2. To reflect light.
  3. To distinguish oneself; to excel.
  4. To be effulgent in splendour or beauty.
  5. To be eminent, conspicuous, or distinguished; to exhibit brilliant intellectual powers.
  6. To be immediately apparent.
  7. To create light with (a flashlight, lamp, torch, or similar).
  8. To cause to shine, as a light.
  9. To make bright; to cause to shine by reflected light.

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