Cryptic crossword clue
Sham flier heading north in gannet, acting like magpie? 9

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word PILFERING

I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
P
I
L
F
E
R
I
N
G

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "acting like magpie" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case acting like magpie = pilfering.
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 PILFERING mean?

PILFERING verb
  1. To steal in small quantities, or articles of small value; to practise petty theft.
PILFERING noun
  1. The act by which something is pilfered; a petty theft.

Latest crossword clues with full explanations