The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 plus 3 letter word CLEAR CUT
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
C
L
E
A
R
C
U
T
More clues leading to the result CLEAR CUT
Buddy explains!
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 CLEAR CUT mean?
CLEAR CUT adjective- Straightforward, obvious, simple, or basic.
- Having had all trees cut.