Cryptic crossword clue
Scare away hawk in duel, perhaps? 5-3

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word SHOOT-OUT

S
H
O
O
T
-
O
U
T

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "duel, perhaps" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case duel, perhaps = shoot-out.
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 SHOOT-OUT mean?

SHOOT-OUT noun
  1. A decisive battle, especially a gunfight.
  2. A penalty shootout.
  3. A series of penalty shots during which a tied game is resolved.
  4. A multitable poker tournament in which only the last player on a table goes on to the next.

Latest crossword clues with full explanations