Cryptic crossword clue
Retreats without black jackets 7

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word ARBOURS

I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
A
R
B
O
U
R
S

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Retreats" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case retreats = arbours.
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 ARBOURS mean?

ARBOURS noun
  1. A shady sitting place, usually in a park or garden, and usually surrounded by climbing shrubs or vines and other vegetation.
  2. A shady walk.

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