The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word OVERUSED
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
O
V
E
R
U
S
E
D
More clues leading to the result OVERUSED
- Short spin up in River Dee could find you tired
- Budgie in the end devours nuts, stale
- Hackneyed load of balls due to be recycled with Sun’s involvement
- Hackneyed opposition leader’s knowledgeable about Unionist
- Finished before American editor employed beyond reason
- In charge of you and me. editor may be worn out
- Timeworn stratagem in English county not entirely backed
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Timeworn" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case timeworn = overused.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 OVERUSED mean?
OVERUSED adjective- Used too much, or too often
- (of a word or phrase) hackneyed or clichéd