The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word ALTERNATE
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
A
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A
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More clues leading to the result ALTERNATE
- American substitute porter, perhaps welcoming group of three visiting
- Take turns late — aren't worried
- Winger in a last-minute switch
- These letters from Scot could be so different
- Take turns thus to get neat?
- A large bird consumed every second?
- Appearing every second
- Showing unusual talent, are to take turns
- Change by turns every second
- Take turns to make neat?
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "take turns" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case take turns = alternate.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 ALTERNATE mean?
ALTERNATE noun- That which alternates with something else; vicissitude.
- A substitute; an alternative; one designated to take the place of another, if necessary, in performing some duty.
- A proportion derived from another proportion by interchanging the means.
- A replacement of equal or greater value or function.
- Figures or tinctures that succeed each other by turns.
- To perform by turns, or in succession; to cause to succeed by turns; to interchange regularly.
- To happen, succeed, or act by turns; to follow reciprocally in place or time; followed by with.
- To vary by turns.
- To perform an alternation (removal of alternate vertices) on (a polytope or tessellation); to remove vertices (from a face or edge) as part of an alternation.
- Happening by turns; one following the other in succession of time or place; first one and then the other (repeatedly)
- Designating the members in a series, which regularly intervene between the members of another series, as the odd or even numbers of the numerals; every other; every second.
- Other; alternative.
- (of leaves) Distributed singly at different heights of the stem, and at equal intervals as respects angular divergence.