The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 2 plus 3 letter word NO ONE
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
N
O
O
N
E
More clues leading to the result NO ONE
- Twelve people — only the last remaining — then this?
- Twelve men in the middle — how many more for a jury?
- Who’s in empty room? 12 on drugs
- Not a soul with energy after midday
- High time expanded, initially, ghost town population
- Twelve people ultimately — twelve fewer?
- Person in charge perhaps is not a single person
- Quarter past twelve and not a soul to be seen
- Absence of people negative about energy
- Nobody in Orient is seen after midday
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "then this" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case then this = no one.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 NO ONE mean?
NO ONE pronoun- Used in contrast to anyone, someone or everyone: not one person; nobody.