The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word RAGED
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
R
A
G
E
D
More clues leading to the result RAGED
- Was angry with newspaper and its head
- Newspaper editor was angry
- Behaved like Lear, king getting senile?
- Saw red journalist on rotten paper
- Was angry Bolshevik accepting silver?
- Was in Frenzy in which director ultimately matured
- After disrespectful term for paper editor was furious
- Got right old worked up!
- Tabloid boss blew his top
- The wagtail, my love, was upset about – was cross
Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Was angry" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case was angry = raged.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 RAGED mean?
RAGED verb- To act or speak in heightened anger.
- (sometimes figurative) To move with great violence, as a storm etc.
- To enrage.