The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word HANGER-ON
I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
H
A
N
G
E
R
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O
N
More clues leading to the result HANGER-ON
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 HANGER-ON mean?
HANGER-ON noun- Someone who hangs on, or sticks to, a person, place, or service.
- An onsetter.