Cryptic crossword clue
Tinker holding ale back for pirate 10

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 10 letter word FREEBOOTER

I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
F
R
E
E
B
O
O
T
E
R

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "pirate" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case pirate = freebooter.
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 FREEBOOTER mean?

FREEBOOTER noun
  1. An adventurer who pillages, plunders or wages ad-hoc war on other nations.
  2. One who rehosts online media without authorization; one who freeboots.

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