The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 4 letter word SHAW
I've seen this crossword clue in The Sunday Telegraph
S
H
A
W
More clues leading to the result SHAW
- Horse, observed outside wood
- Woodcutter set about hard wood
- Wood, writer of plays and critical commentaries
- Playwright: ‘That’s a wrap!’ Not quite
- Music critic consulted over Beethoven’s Fifth
- Playwright has tinkered with start of wording
- Literary giant has worried women
- Author has enigmatic wife
- GB sticker hated across Welsh borders
- Writer understood about his heroine’s character deficit?
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Writer" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case writer = shaw.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 SHAW mean?
SHAW noun- A thicket; a small wood or grove.
- The leaves and tops of vegetables, especially potatoes and turnips.