The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word EXCELSIOR
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
E
X
C
E
L
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Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "excellent" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case excellent = excelsior.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 EXCELSIOR mean?
EXCELSIOR noun- The size of type between Norse and brilliant, standardized as 3-point.
- Stuffing material (as for furniture and mattresses) made of slender, curled wood shavings, as a substitute for hair.
- Loftier, yet higher, more elevated; ever upward
- More surpassing, more excelling