The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 4 letter word BLUE
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
B
L
U
E
More clues leading to the result BLUE
- A shade down
- Censor has been extremely unhelpful, clip appearing blurred
- Bill used regularly to be sad
- Colour, first seen with 1A in black and white
- Tory puffed out air in speech
- Bawdy / university sportsman
- As reported, what the wind did is sad
- Correct having navy lead?
- Sad as some music is cut short
- Suppress dodgy licence, pub losing 100 litres
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Tory" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case tory = blue.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 BLUE mean?
BLUE noun- The colour of the clear sky or the deep sea, between green and violet in the visible spectrum, and one of the primary additive colours for transmitted light; the colour obtained by subtracting red and green from white light using magenta and cyan filters; or any colour resembling this.
- A blue dye or pigment.
- Any of several processes to protect metal against rust.
- Blue clothing
- (in the plural) A blue uniform. See blues.
- A member of law enforcement
- The sky, literally or figuratively.
- The ocean; deep waters.
- The far distance; a remote or distant place.
- Anything blue, especially to distinguish it from similar objects differing only in color.
- A dog or cat with a slaty gray coat.
- One of the colour balls used in snooker, with a value of five points.
- Any of the butterflies of the subfamily Polyommatinae in the family Lycaenidae, most of which have blue on their wings.
- A bluefish.
- An argument.
- A liquid with an intense blue colour, added to a laundry wash to prevent yellowing of white clothes.
- A type of firecracker.
- A bluestocking.
- One of the three color charges for quarks.
- To make or become blue.
- To treat the surface of steel so that it is passivated chemically and becomes more resistant to rust.
- (laundry) To brighten by treating with blue (laundry aid)
- To spend (money) extravagantly; to blow.
- Of the colour blue.
- Depressed, melancholic, sad.
- Pale, without redness or glare; said of a flame.
- Supportive of, run by (a member of), pertaining to, or dominated by a political party represented by the colour blue.
- Of the higher-frequency region of the part of the electromagnetic spectrum which is relevant in the specific observation.
- (of steak) Extra rare; left very raw and cold.
- (of a dog or cat) Having a coat of fur of a slaty gray shade.
- Severe or overly strict in morals; gloomy.
- (of women) literary; bluestockinged.
- Having a color charge of blue.
- (entertainment) Risque or obscene
- (entertainment) Pornographic or profane.