The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word THINNER
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More clues leading to the result THINNER
- Chemical / every weightwatcher tries to get?
- Less powerful, the river surrounds pub
- Bar coated with the right solvent
- Pub submerged in the river could be more watery
- The champion, dismissing bridge team as less substantial
- Hotel in Canning person finds less gross
- Hard time getting upset inside makes one less chubby
- Less weighty article right outside tavern
- Slight on geek falling short? Painter could need one
- Hotel seen in the right light, only more so
Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Painter could need one" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case painter could need one = thinner.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 THINNER mean?
THINNER adjective- Having little thickness or extent from one surface to its opposite.
- Very narrow in all diameters; having a cross section that is small in all directions.
- Having little body fat or flesh; slim; slender; lean; gaunt.
- Of low viscosity or low specific gravity.
- Scarce; not close, crowded, or numerous; not filling the space.
- Describing a poorly played golf shot where the ball is struck by the bottom part of the club head. See fat, shank, toe.
- Lacking body or volume; small; feeble; not full.
- Slight; small; slender; flimsy; superficial; inadequate; not sufficient for a covering.
- A liquid substance used to thin the consistency of another liquid.
- Something that thins.