The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word OPPOSING
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
O
P
P
O
S
I
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G
More clues leading to the result OPPOSING
- Work over would-be enemy
- Showing off on piano after old rival
- Against modelling after work
- At odds with uninitiated cop's positioning
- Against work, sitting pretty
- River running upstream joins river to make melodious sounds on the other side
- Against expecting — not hard to get some of the bribe back
- Before sitting, Kung Fu Panda flips rival
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "enemy" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case enemy = opposing.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 OPPOSING mean?
OPPOSING verb- To attempt to stop the progression of; to resist or antagonize by physical means, or by arguments, etc.; to contend against.
- To object to.
- To present or set up in opposition; to pose.
- To place in front of, or over against; to set opposite; to exhibit.
- That opposes or oppose; on the opposite side.