The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 6 letter word TARMAC
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
T
A
R
M
A
C
More clues leading to the result TARMAC
- Runway staff short on salt
- Jack up part of car that’s stuck on the road
- Sailor’s on rising river runways
- Leader of Taunton beer enthusiasts serving up the black stuff!
- Rating coat as outdoor covering
- Sailor, a Scotsman, is seen on the roads
- Thanks to drivers saving money this smooths the way
- found on road
- Road junction to which beer enthusiasts return
- Utter thanks to unknown American for treatment en route?
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "this smooths the way" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case this smooths the way = tarmac.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 TARMAC mean?
TARMAC noun- Tarmacadam.
- Any bituminous road surfacing material.
- The driveable surface of a road.
- The area of an airport, other than the runway, where planes park or maneuver.
- To pave with tarmacadam or a similar material.
- To spend time idling on a runway, usually waiting for takeoff clearance.