The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word RATHE
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
R
A
T
H
E
More clues leading to the result RATHE
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "early" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case early = rathe.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 RATHE mean?
RATHE adjective- Ripening or blooming early.
- Quickly.
- Early in the morning.