The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 6 plus 2 letter word STANDS BY
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
S
T
A
N
D
S
B
Y
More clues leading to the result STANDS BY
- Waits in the wings for champions
- Supports, but remains uninvolved
- Waits next to the terraces at first
- Awaits instructions for supports
- Is ready and gives support
- Is supportive, but fails to intervene
- Times will support seating areas for spectators and is ready to act
- Substitute securing point for champions
- See 1d
- Supports display units on outskirts of Bombay
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Waits in the wings for" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case waits in the wings for = stands by.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.