The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 6 letter word DE-ICE
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
D
E
-
I
C
E
More clues leading to the result DE-ICE
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "thaw?" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case thaw? = de-ice.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 DE-ICE mean?
DE-ICE verb- To remove ice, as from the wings of an airplane.