Cryptic crossword clue
Say, a mammal left you in the past 4

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 4 plus 1 letter word ONCE -

O
N
C
E
-

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "past" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case past = once -.
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 ONCE - mean?

ONCE - adverb
  1. (frequency) One and only one time.
  2. (temporal location) Formerly; during some period in the past.
  3. Multiplied by one: indicating that a number is multiplied by one.
  4. As soon as.
  5. At a future time.
ONCE - conjunction
  1. As soon as; when; after.

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