The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word SHORTAGE
I've seen this crossword clue in The Sunday Telegraph
S
H
O
R
T
A
G
E
More clues leading to the result SHORTAGE
- Need Scotch, say, to mature
- Dearth of hard men in acting profession
- Lack resources, primarily, in attempt to appear older
- Deficiency makes her goats go crazy
- Want identification to open beach
- A lack of sex with husband – pathetic toerag
- Lack of time following drink
- Need for identification in coastal area
- Want mum to get mineral – label’s described
- Want coast to receive label
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Want" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case want = shortage.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 SHORTAGE mean?
SHORTAGE noun- A lack or deficiency; an insufficient amount.