Free cod ends after sailor vanished (9)
I believe the answer is:
absconded
'vanished' is the definition.
(thesaurus)
'free cod ends after sailor' is the wordplay.
'free' is an anagram indicator.
'after' says to put letters next to each other.
'sailor' becomes 'ab' (abbreviation for able seaman).
'cod'+'ends'='codends'
'codends' anagrammed gives 'sconded'.
'sconded' after 'ab' is 'ABSCONDED'.
(Other definitions for absconded that I've seen before include "Ran away to avoid legal process" , "Escaped" , "took French leave" , "Fled to avoid arrest" , "Bolted, made off" .)