The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word AVAILED
I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
A
V
A
I
L
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D
More clues leading to the result AVAILED
- Girl escorted outside I helped
- Took advantage of a leading veteran who was ill
- Retired cook admitting King James Bible was of help
- Took advantage of a very backward woman
- Helped a cook set up to include five
- Helped a very upwardly mobile cook
- A secret’s said to have been of benefit
- Alternative Vote caused trouble but proved useful
- Suffered after a victory, but was of use
- Virginia raised trouble and Ed profited
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "was of help" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case was of help = availed.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 AVAILED mean?
AVAILED verb- To turn to the advantage of.
- To be of service to.
- To promote; to assist.
- To be of use or advantage; to answer or serve the purpose; to have strength, force, or efficacy sufficient to accomplish the object.
- To provide; to make available.