Catch associate coming back? Not quite (6)
I believe the answer is:
entrap
'catch' is the definition.
(to entrap is to catch with a trap)
'associate coming back? not quite' is the wordplay.
I cannot quite see how this works, but
'not' could be 'nt' (synonyms) and 'nt' is found in the answer.
This explanation may well be incorrect...
(Other definitions for entrap that I've seen before include "Parent (anag)" , "Catch like parent" , "Set up" , "decoy" , "Snare - inveigle" .)