Cryptic crossword clue
Reason in short supply — argument within becomes hardened 8

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word STIFFENS

I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
S
T
I
F
F
E
N
S

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "becomes hardened" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case becomes hardened = stiffens.
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 STIFFENS mean?

STIFFENS verb
  1. To make stiff.
  2. To become stiff.

Latest crossword clues with full explanations