Cryptic crossword clue
Quietly said he drew ship at sea: not hard 9

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word WHISPERED

I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
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Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Quietly said" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case quietly said = whispered.
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.

Crossword Answer definitions

WHISPERED verb
  1. To speak softly, or under the breath, so as to be heard only by one near at hand; to utter words without sonant breath; to talk without that vibration in the larynx which gives sonorous, or vocal, sound.
  2. To mention privately and confidentially, or in a whisper.
  3. To make a low, sibilant sound.
  4. To speak with suspicion or timorous caution; to converse in whispers, as in secret plotting.
  5. To address in a whisper, or low voice.
  6. To prompt secretly or cautiously; to inform privately.

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