Cryptic crossword clue
So astronauts may be bound to get tense, being overwhelmed by hardware malfunction 9

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word EARTHWARD

I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
E
A
R
T
H
W
A
R
D

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "So astronauts may be bound" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case so astronauts may be bound = earthward.
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 EARTHWARD mean?

EARTHWARD adjective
  1. Towards or in the direction of the earth.
EARTHWARD adverb
  1. Towards or in the direction of the earth.

Latest crossword clues with full explanations