The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word STEEL
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
S
T
E
E
L
More clues leading to the result STEEL
- Possible colour of water, surprisingly subtle, hiding fish
- Prepare for something unpleasant — heavy metal?
- True Grit is appropriate for audience
- Treated iron horse left for dead
- The way fish produces grit
- Fish under stone, kind of blue or grey
- Avenger almost left, showing staying power
- Geese try swimming across lake to find shade
- What’s this containing iron? It sounds like a bargain
- Iron alloy used for brace
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "True Grit" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case true grit = steel.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 STEEL mean?
STEEL noun- An artificial metal produced from iron, harder and more elastic than elemental iron; used figuratively as a symbol of hardness.
- Any item made of this metal, particularly including:
- Medicinal consumption of this metal; chalybeate medicine; (eventually) any iron or iron-treated water consumed as a medical treatment.
- Varieties of this metal.
- (colors) The gray hue of this metal; steel-gray, or steel blue.
- Extreme hardness or resilience.
- To edge, cover, or point with steel.
- To harden or strengthen; to nerve or make obdurate; to fortify against.
- (of mirrors) To back with steel.
- To treat a liquid with steel for medicinal purposes.
- To press with a flat iron.
- To cause to resemble steel in appearance.
- To steelify; to turn iron into steel.
- To electroplate an item, particularly an engraving plate, with a layer of iron.
- To sharpen with a honing steel.
- Made of steel.
- Similar to steel in color, strength, or the like; steely.
- Of or belonging to the manufacture or trade in steel.
- Containing steel.
- Engraved on steel.
- Coldbath Fields Prison in London, closed in 1877.