The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word SELFSAME
I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
S
E
L
F
S
A
M
E
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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 SELFSAME mean?
SELFSAME adjective- Precisely the same; the very same; identical.