The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 10 letter word IMITATIONS
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
I
M
I
T
A
T
I
O
N
S
More clues leading to the result IMITATIONS
Buddy explains!
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 IMITATIONS mean?
IMITATIONS noun- The act of imitating.
- (attributive) A copy or simulation; something that is not the real thing.