The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word AUDITORS
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
A
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D
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T
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S
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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 AUDITORS mean?
AUDITORS noun- One who audits bookkeeping accounts.
- In many jurisdictions, an elected or appointed public official in charge of the public accounts; a comptroller.
- One who audits an academic course; who attends the lectures but does not earn academic credit.
- One who listens, typically as a member of an audience.
- One trained to perform spiritual guidance procedures.