The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 11 letter word ENTERTAINER
I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
E
N
T
E
R
T
A
I
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R
More clues leading to the result ENTERTAINER
- Register English church composer without top performer
- New internet era for performer
- Turn and board coach with second to go
- Diverting person from harbour: here he's abandoned, upset
- Showman, put in army in Ecuador, deserted
- Internet era ruined comic, perhaps
- Record single penned by hit Queen performer
- Record and somehow retain performer
- One looking for applause has to come in and earn it possibly
- Get in, thanks to not entirely passive actor, perhaps
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Showman" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case showman = entertainer.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 ENTERTAINER mean?
ENTERTAINER noun- A person who entertains others, esp. as a profession, as a singer, actor, presenter, dancer, musician, magician, comedian, etc.
- Someone who puts on a show for the entertainment or enjoyment of others.