The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word ALMIGHTY
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
A
L
M
I
G
H
T
Y
More clues leading to the result ALMIGHTY
- Whacking small boy could end in outcry
- Enormous male in a small yard
- Gangster’s power with young is massive
- Invincible Arsenal’s wingers could centre for players
- Central megalith could stay, at the end, extremely powerful
- Gore may, by end of January, be the most powerful
- Murray perhaps may finally play great
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Whacking" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case whacking = almighty.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 ALMIGHTY mean?
ALMIGHTY adjective- (sometimes postpositive) Unlimited in might; omnipotent; all-powerful
- Great; extreme; terrible.
- (by extension) Having very great power, influence, etc.
- Extremely; thoroughly.