Cryptic crossword clue
Whip topless men, date being put in chains 8

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word CATENATE

I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
C
A
T
E
N
A
T
E

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "put in chains" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case put in chains = catenate.
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.

Crossword Answer definitions

Latest crossword clues with full explanations