The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word MARINATE
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
M
A
R
I
N
A
T
E
More clues leading to the result MARINATE
- . Steep charge to secure home? Mother’s on to it
- Get soaked by rain out in China
- Steep price nursing home required to support old lady
- Steep train breaks down in West
- Steep terrace unoccupied behind mooring area
- Without a discount at the end this would be jolly steep
- Steep place to make fast note
- Steep climbing rocket an IRA man secured
- Get soaked in the sea with total immersion for a time
- Soldier at sea must welcome a time to soak
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "steep" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case steep = marinate.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 MARINATE mean?
MARINATE verb- To allow a sauce or flavoring mixture to absorb into something; to steep or soak something in a marinade to flavor or prepare it for cooking.