The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word EVIDENCE
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
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More clues leading to the result EVIDENCE
- Signs of drug depravity around where you would expect?
- New vice cops study ecstasy and hard dope in a case
- Proof of a base immorality around hideout
- Proof of English navy hacking innovative device
- Witnesses appear to give it
- Proof that even cider production’s not right
- Testimony of retiring editor stopping show
- Words in action?
- A touch of evil and depravity surrounding hideout in grounds
- Key to study in evil gets proof
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 EVIDENCE mean?
EVIDENCE noun- Facts or observations presented in support of an assertion.
- Anything admitted by a court to prove or disprove alleged matters of fact in a trial.
- One who bears witness.
- A body of objectively verifiable facts that are positively indicative of, and/or exclusively concordant with, that one conclusion over any other.
- To provide evidence for, or suggest the truth of.