The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word CELLISTS
I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
C
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L
L
I
S
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S
More clues leading to the result CELLISTS
- Small room is at first too small for players
- Small room is too small, principally, for some players
- Players first locked in prison accommodation
- They won’t stand for their instruments being played
- At first sister-in-law returns and resides among Irish people, perhaps, and musicians
- Musicians head of label in church records
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "some players" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case some players = cellists.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 CELLISTS mean?
CELLISTS noun- Someone who plays the cello.