Cryptic crossword clue
They are missing food with pained expressions 2-5

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word NO-SHOWS

I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
N
O
-
S
H
O
W
S

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "They are missing" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case they are missing = no-shows.
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 NO-SHOWS mean?

NO-SHOWS noun
  1. An absence; failure to show up or to make a scheduled appearance, especially at a hotel or a place of employment.
  2. A person or group that does not show up.
NO-SHOWS verb
  1. To fail to show up for something.

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