The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word REEFING
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
R
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F
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Buddy explains!
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 REEFING mean?
REEFING verb- To take in part of a sail in order to adapt the size of the sail to the force of the wind.
- To pull or yank strongly, especially in relation to horse riding.
- (of paddles) To move the floats of a paddle wheel toward its center so that they will not dip so deeply.
- The process of reefing (taking in a sail); an act of reefing; also used of clothing.
- A reef (seam of quartz).