The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 4 plus 1 plus 4 plus 4 letter word TAKE A BACK SEAT
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
T
A
K
E
A
B
A
C
K
S
E
A
T
More clues leading to the result TAKE A BACK SEAT
- Startle, prepared to keep ace and not lead
- Withdraw into subordinate position, unlike driver's adviser?
- What nervous passengers might do to adopt a passive role?
- Don’t lead Kate astray with fancy cakes in a club
- Accept a less important role and shock bench, perhaps
- Become less active in ancestral home after shock
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "not lead" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case not lead = take a back seat.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.