The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 13 letter word SHORT-STAFFED
S
H
O
R
T
-
S
T
A
F
F
E
D
More clues leading to the result SHORT-STAFFED
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "below strength" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case below strength = short-staffed.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 SHORT-STAFFED mean?
SHORT-STAFFED adjective- Not having sufficient members of staff