The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 12 letter word SHORT-HANDED
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
S
H
O
R
T
-
H
A
N
D
E
D
Buddy explains!
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-HANDED mean?
SHORT-HANDED adjective- Lacking sufficient staff or people, as for normal or efficient operations.
- Having less than a quorum.
- (team sports) Having, or occurring during an interval with, fewer than a full complement of players, often as the result of a penalty.
- (of a table) Having fewer than the standard number of players.
- In a shorthanded manner.