The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word SHRAPNEL
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
S
H
R
A
P
N
E
L
More clues leading to the result SHRAPNEL
- Her plans potentially change
- Backward old man with right hand covered in glass fragments
- War hero may contain this silent strike by opponents on left
- Shell ruined her plans
- Fragments of shell almost strike knight in the heart
- May be fired when her plans go awry
- Shell various planes blockading empty hangar
- Her plans unexpectedly change
- Quietly blame Deighton over explosive fallout?
- When it bursts out of a cracked shell, it’s hairy
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Shell" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case shell = shrapnel.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 SHRAPNEL mean?
SHRAPNEL noun- An anti-personnel artillery shell used in WWI which carries a large number of individual bullets close to the target and then ejects them to allow them to continue along the shell's trajectory and strike the target individually.
- A collective term for shot, fragments, or debris thrown out by an exploding shell, bomb or landmine.
- Loose change.
- Debris.