Cryptic crossword clue
Traces letters about unpleasant people returning 8

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word VESTIGES

I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
V
E
S
T
I
G
E
S

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Traces" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case traces = vestiges.
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 VESTIGES mean?

VESTIGES noun
  1. The mark of the foot left on the earth.
  2. (by extension) A faint mark or visible sign left by something which is lost, or has perished, or is no longer present.
  3. A vestigial organ; a non-functional organ or body part that was once functional in an evolutionary ancestor.

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