The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word OXIDANT
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
O
X
I
D
A
N
T
More clues leading to the result OXIDANT
- An agent from the West spoken of
- Report of West's agent producing a reaction
- Chemical worker, on old side, initially disagreeing
- Botox? I’d anticipated getting an injection of chemical compound
- Neat soldier hiding identity used by agent causing deterioration
- Attorney stopped mixing toxin in chemical agent
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "agent producing a reaction" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case agent producing a reaction = oxidant.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 OXIDANT mean?
OXIDANT noun- An oxidizing agent