The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word NEEDLES
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
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More clues leading to the result NEEDLES
- Winds up unnecessary contracts
- Pointers being almost not necessary
- For a seamstress they’re not entirely unnecessary
- For no good reason sacking frontman of the Family Stone, a Scottish rock group
- Winds up being largely unnecessary
- Styluses are largely redundant
- New winger getting sent off at start of Leeds game is annoying
- Largely unnecessary heckles
- Unnecessary loss of one point irritates
- Pointless pointless pointers
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "parts for compasses" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case parts for compasses = needles.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 NEEDLES mean?
NEEDLES noun- A fine, sharp implement usually for piercing such as sewing, or knitting, acupuncture, tattooing, body piercing, medical injections, etc.
- Any slender, pointed object resembling a needle, such as a pointed crystal, a sharp pinnacle of rock, an obelisk, etc.
- A fine measurement indicator on a dial or graph, e.g. a compass needle.
- A sensor for playing phonograph records, a phonograph stylus.
- A needle-like leaf found on some conifers.
- A strong beam resting on props, used as a temporary support during building repairs.
- (usually preceded by the) The death penalty carried out by lethal injection.
- A text string that is searched for within another string. (see: needle in a haystack)
- To pierce with a needle, especially for sewing or acupuncture.
- To tease in order to provoke; to poke fun at.
- To form, or be formed, in the shape of a needle.
- Not needed; unnecessary.