The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word GATES
I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
G
A
T
E
S
More clues leading to the result GATES
- 13‘s scandal ends?
- Openings to pick up collection of cutlery, say
- Those people pass through taking a test — not entirely
- Rich American worried when kidnapped by heartless gangsters
- They admit being swingers
- Worried stag hurdles these ultimately — you’ll find them on the edge of fields
- … one who made his money from PC World openings
- Gargoyles at the enchanted sepulchre's openings which might keep you out
- Entrances founder of famous software company
- Stage plays for paying audiences
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Rich American" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case rich american = gates.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 GATES mean?
GATES noun- A doorlike structure outside a house.
- Doorway, opening, or passage in a fence or wall.
- Movable barrier.
- A logical pathway made up of switches which turn on or off. Examples are and, or, nand, etc.
- The gap between a batsman's bat and pad.
- The amount of money made by selling tickets to a concert or a sports event.
- (flow cytometry) A line that separates particle type-clusters on two-dimensional dot plots.
- Passageway (as in an air terminal) where passengers can embark or disembark.
- The controlling terminal of a field effect transistor (FET).
- In a lock tumbler, the opening for the stump of the bolt to pass through or into.
- The channel or opening through which metal is poured into the mould; the ingate.
- The waste piece of metal cast in the opening; a sprue or sullage piece. Also written geat and git.
- A mechanism, in a film camera and projector, that holds each frame momentarily stationary behind the aperture.
- A tally mark consisting of four vertical bars crossed by a diagonal, representing a count of five.
- To keep something inside by means of a closed gate.
- To punish, especially a child or teenager, by not allowing them to go out.
- To open a closed ion channel.
- To furnish with a gate.
- To turn (an image intensifier) on and off selectively as needed, or to avoid damage. See autogating.
- A way, path.
- A journey.
- A street; now used especially as a combining form to make the name of a street e.g. "Briggate" (a common street name in the north of England meaning "Bridge Street") or Kirkgate meaning "Church Street".
- Manner; gait.