Cryptic crossword clue
Relating to area regular characters in ZZ Top neatly trimmed? 5

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

I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
Z
O
N
A
L

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The straight part
We know that "Relating to area" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case relating to area = zonal.
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 ZONAL mean?

ZONAL adjective
  1. Divided into zones.
  2. Related to, associated with, or similar to zones.
  3. (of air or ocean currents) roughly longitudinal (east to west, or west to east)

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