Cryptic crossword clue
Staff run round before finding stray 8

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word WANDERER

I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
W
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R

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "stray" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case stray = wanderer.
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 WANDERER mean?

WANDERER noun
  1. One who wanders, who travels aimlessly.
  2. Any of various far-migrating nymphalid butterflies of the genus Danaus.
  3. The wandering albatross, Diomedea exulans.

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